Discharge data collection and analysis strategies in low flow studies

Abstract

The objective of this paper is to determine the most appropriate data collection strategy and analysis techniques which should be used to assess the low flow regime of a catchment. The data used were: a) synchronous discharge measurements during low flow periods, and b) continuous daily flow records. The analyses based on both types of data were able to distinguish different low flow regimes within a 114 km2 Danish catchment. The results highlight the benefits of using synchronous discharge measurements, both for estimating low flows at ungauged sites, and for understanding groundwater flow paths. Analyses of daily flow records showed that a baseflow index was more useful than the flow duration curve for classifying low flow regimes when only short records were available. -from Author