Multivariate empirical test of the Leopold and Miller stream order–hydraulic geometry hypothesis
The relationship between stream order and hydraulic geometry was tested using multivariate discriminant analysis. Data on the hydraulic geometry variables were collected for 103 streams of order 3 through 6 in the Pecatonica River drainage network in southwestern Wisconsin. The results indicate that the relationship is not as strong as suggested by L. R. Leopold and J. P. Miller. Channel width, depth, and gradient appear to account for the existing strength, whereas velocity and roughness make only a negligible contribution.