Quantifying streamflow regime behavior and its sensitivity to demand

•New demand-based method to identify droughts/pluvials simultaneously.•Drought duration increases quasi-exponentially as a function of increasing demand.•Pluvial duration decreases quasi-exponentially as a function of increasing demand.•Gauges on or near the main stem tends to see longer, more severe pluvials.•Drought severity to duration ratio varies as a step function of demand level.