U.S. Stream Flow Metrics

The Streamflow in a Changing Climate StoryMap provides a map viewer allowing users to compare key streamflow metrics for historical and future time periods, as well as the absolute and percent changes between these. Users can zoom in on their location of interest and click to query the flow metrics in a particular stream, for the currently selected time period. This StoryMap also provides background information and a description of each of these metrics.
 

Additionally, the StoryMap includes a map exporter, allowing users to select a Region and Forest and generate a map for their streamflow metric and time period of interest. This map can be included in reports, presentations, and other documents.
 

Note this is an archived page used for historical purposes only.

Background

Climate change is projected to alter the flow regimes of streams and rivers, with consequences for physical processes, aquatic organisms, and water resource management. To study these hydrologic changes, we have developed a database of flow metrics for streams in the western United States (extent shown in Figure 1 of the User Guide) ) under historical conditions and climate change scenarios. These are based on daily simulations of the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) macroscale hydrologic model produced by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group. The US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station used these model outputs to calculate a set of summary flow metrics to describe key attributes of the flow regime for each stream segment in the 1:100,000 scale National Hydrography Dataset (NHDPlus version 2) in the western United States. Datasets are available for the historical period (1977-2006), mid-century (2030–2059) and end-of-century (2070–2099). Future projections are based on the ensemble mean of ten global climate models associated with the A1B emissions scenario. Please see the User Guide for more information and important caveats on appropriate use.

ArcGIS Online interactive map

Western Flow Metrics Interactive Map includes: 

• Mean Annual Flow: calculated as the mean of the yearly cumulative discharge values.
• Mean Summer Flow: the average of daily flow between June 1 and September 30.
• Mean August Flow: the average of daily August flows, included as a generally dry month with high water demands.
• Winter Flows Over the 95th Percentile: the number of daily flows between December 1 and March 31 that exceed the 95th percentile of daily flows across the entire year.
•  1.5-Year Flood: calculated by first finding the annual maximum series of flows (i.e. the largest flood for each year). The 33rd percentile of the annual maximum series defines the daily flow that occurs every 1.5 years, on average.
• 10-Year Flood: calculated as above, but for the flow that occurs every 10 years on average.
• 25-Year Flood: calculated as above, but for the flow that occurs every 25 years on average.
• Maximum Modeled Flood: calculated by finding the highest modeled daily flow occurring in any year.
• Center of Flow Mass: calculated using a weighted mean, to find the day number of the water year (October 1–September 31) at which half of the year's flow occurs before, and half after.
• Center of Flow Mass (Date): calculated by converting the Center of Flow Mass to a (non-leap year) date in month-date format for easier interpretation (e.g. a CFM value of 125.385 is converted to 02/03).
• Baseflow Index: The ratio of the lowest 7-day flow of summer (May 1–September 30) to the average annual flow.

Dataset Download

Flow metrics for the western U.S. for the historical and future time periods, and for the changes between time periods, can be downloaded from the FSGeodata Clearinghouse.

• Coastal Pacific Northwest Basin 
• Great Basin
• Interior Columbia River Basin 
• Platte River Basin 
• Upper Colorado 
• Upper Missouri

Collaborators

• Nathan Walker - GIS Specialist