AbstractTerrestrial sediment yield – often measured as suspended sediment load in stream channels – commonly scales with drainage area within homogeneous land surface regions. But the effect of drainage area has not usually been recognized in comparative sediment yield analyses, rendering most comparisons of sediment yield from disparate source areas invalid. The procedure to discount scale differences for comparative purposes is presented. Mathematical scaling varies according to landscape condition and provides a physical interpretation of that condition. The results open the way for rational construction of a ‘sediment delivery ratio’. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.