AnglerOS

Glossary

Discharge

Discharge is the volume rate of water passing a cross-section—commonly cubic feet per second (cfs) on USGS products. Stage can stay flat while discharge swings during gate changes.

Published May 16, 2026 · Editorial standards

Why it matters

Boaters care about cfs in the tailrace for loading and planing; biologists care for oxygen and temperature breaks. A steady pool elevation does not mean steady outflow.

Rating curves

USGS derives discharge from stage using site-specific rating curves. That is why streamgage pages show both—and why a given cfs can correspond to different stages after channel changes.

Related terms: Stage · Streamgage · Tailwater · USGS · Gauge

Reference information only. See data sources, editorial standards, or suggest a correction.

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