Abstract

Intermittent streams exhibit regular patterns of drying and are widespread, but the patterns of drying between geographically close streams are not fully understood. We compared annual patterns of flow and drying among ten intermittent streams within a single drainage basin and determined how traditional hydrologic metrics described variation between streams. We installed stream intermittency sensors and evaluated stage height using low-cost methods. We evaluated landscape factors as potential drivers of flow patterns. Intermittent streams varied based on both high and low flow metrics, driven by a variety of landscape level factors, especially watershed size. Additionally, we compared the observed flow regimes within our system with an established soil and water assessment tool, finding that modeled streamflow patterns generally underrepresented observed drying within the system.