Low-flow characteristics and discharge profiles for selected streams in the Neuse River basin, North Carolina

An understanding of the magnitude and frequency of low-flow discharges is an important part of evaluating surface-water resources and planning for municipal and industrial economic expansion. Low-flow characteristics are summarized in this report for 50 continuous-record gaging stations and 113 partial-record measuring sites in the Neuse River Basin in North Carolina. Records of discharge collected through the 1996 water year were used in the analyses. Flow characteristics included in the summary are (1) average annual unit flow; (2) 7Q10 low-flow discharge, the minimum average discharge for a 7-consecutive-day period occurring, on average, once in 10 years; (3) 30Q2 low-flow discharge; (4) W7Q10 low-flow discharge, similar to 7Q10 discharge except that only flow during November through March is considered; and (5) 7Q2 low-flow discharge.