Streamflow trends in the United States

Geophysical Research Letters
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Abstract

Secular trends in streamflow are evaluated for 395 climate-sensitive streamgaging stations in the conterminous United States using the non-parametric Mann-Kendall test. Trends are calculated for selected quantiles of discharge, from the 0th to the 100th percentile, to evaluate differences between low-, medium-, and high-flow regimes during the twentieth century. Two general patterns emerge; trends are most prevalent in the annual minimum (Q0) to median (Q50) flow categories and least prevalent in the annual maximum (Q100) category; and, at all but the highest quantiles, streamflow has increased across broad sections of the United States. Decreases appear only in parts of the Pacific Northwest and the Southeast. Systematic patterns are less apparent in the Q100 flow. Hydrologically, these results indicate that the conterminous U.S. is getting wetter, but less extreme.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Streamflow trends in the United States
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/1998GL900291
Volume 26
Issue 2
Year Published 1999
Language English
Publisher American Geophysical Union
Description 4 p.
First page 227
Last page 230
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