What is the flow rate of a canal in gallons per minute (gpm) given it has an average width of 45 feet, depth of 6 feet, and velocity of 0.10 feet per second?

To determine the flow rate of a canal in gallons per minute (gpm), you first need to calculate the volume of water flowing through the canal per second and then convert that volume to gallons per minute.

The flow rate can be computed using the formula:

[ \text{Flow Rate (cubic feet per second)} = \text{Width (feet)} \times \text{Depth (feet)} \times \text{Velocity (feet/second)} ]

In this case:

• Width = 45 feet

• Depth = 6 feet

• Velocity = 0.10 feet/second

Plugging in these values:

[ \text{Flow Rate} = 45 \text{ ft} \times 6 \text{ ft} \times 0.10 \text{ ft/s} ]

[ \text{Flow Rate} = 27 \text{ cubic feet/second} ]

Next, to convert cubic feet per second to gallons per minute, you can use the conversion factor that 1 cubic foot is equivalent to approximately 7.48 gallons and there are 60 seconds in a minute:

[ \text{Flow Rate (gpm)} = \text{Flow Rate (cubic