The flow rate of a river is the volume of water traveling through a river at any given time. The flow rate of a river can fluctuate depending on the time of year, the weather and the environment surrounding the river. As the seasons change, the amount of rainfall varies. For example, there is more rainfall in the spring than the summer which affects the amount of water in the rivers. When there is more water in the creeks, rivers, and streams, the flow rate will increase as the amount of water in the rivers will increase. Along with the dependence on seasonal change, a river’s flow rate is affected by the region. States with the most rainfall happen to be mostly isolated in the south east as 9 of the top eleven states (Rain/Snowfall totals) are from the southeast. States include, Alabama (4), Arkansas (8), Florida (5), Georgia (7), Louisiana (2), Mississippi (3), North Carolina (9), South Carolina (10), Tennessee (6). (Numbers in parentheses represent rank compared to all states.) The final major determinant of flow rate is the size of the river. Rivers that are both wide and deep, are able to withstand small disturbances such as mountain runoff and small storms as the amount of water originally in the river is very high. On the other hand, creeks and streams can be extremely affected by the smallest of storms. Flow Rate is important because it can determine the organisms that are able to survive. Flow Rate is an important measurement to take when testing a river because its effects on the river’s ecosystem are drastic.