The wetted perimeter is the perimeter of the cross sectional area that is "wet." The term wetted perimeter is common in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering and heat transfer applications; it is associated with the hydraulic diameter. Engineers commonly cite the cross sectional area of a river.

This can be defined mathematically:

$sum\_\{i=0\}^infty\{l\_i\}$

Where $l\_i$ is the length of each surface in contact with the aqueous body.

In open channel flow, the wetted perimeter is simply how much water is in contact with the river channel. The greater the wetted perimeter, the more friction there is between the water, bed and banks and, therefore, the slower the water flow. In a practical experiment, one is able to measure the wetted perimeter with a tape measure weighted down to the river bed to get the true measurement.

See also

• Surface water hydrology
• Hydrological transport model
• Manning formula
• Hydraulic radius