Stream velocity is the speed of the water in the stream. Units are distance per time (e.g., meters per second or feet per second). Stream velocity is greatest in midstream near the surface and is slowest along the stream bed and banks due to friction.Hydraulic radius (HR or just R) is the ratio of the cross-sectional area divided by the wetted perimeter. For a hypothetical stream with a rectangular cross sectional shape (a stream with a flat bottom and vertical sides) the cross-sectional area is simply the width multiplied by the depth (W * D). For the same hypothetical stream the wetted perimeter would be the depth plus the width plus the depth (W + 2D). The greater the cross-sectional area in comparison to the wetted perimeter, the more freely flowing will the stream be because less of the water in the stream is in proximity to the frictional bed. So as hydraulic radius increases so will velocity (all other factors being equal).Stream discharge is the quantity (volume) of water passing by a given point in a certain amount of time. It is calculated as Q = V * A, where V is the stream velocity and A is the stream's cross-sectional area. Units of discharge are volume per time (e.g., m3/sec or million gallons per day, mgpd).At low velocity, especially if the stream bed is smooth, streams may exhibit laminar flow in which all of the water molecules flow in parallel paths. At higher velocities turbulence is introduced into the flow (turbulent flow). The water molecules don't follow parallel paths.Streams carry dissolved ions as dissolved load, fine clay and silt particles as suspended load, and coarse sands and gravels as bed load. Fine particles will only remain suspended if flow is turbulent.
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