Unit Peak Discharge
08/09/25
“How can we get a base estimate of a small watershed’s discharge potential?”
Runoff events vary by storm and watershed. However, we may want to compare the discharge potential of different watersheds without having to account for variations in different storms. So, what if we were to calculate how much peak discharge each watershed would produce for a 1-inch rain event, regardless of its area? Well, this is the idea behind Unit Peak Discharge, which is measured in flow rate per area per runoff amount. Calculating unit peak discharge is essential in estimating peak discharge using the TR-55 graphical method.
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