<p>In a laboratory flume, experiments were conducted to explore bulk flow characteristics in channels with submerged aquatic vegetation patches of finite length and width with varying densities. The experiments aimed to assess the significance of precise drag coefficients and understand the impact of vegetation on bed friction. Wooden rods were used as surrogates for vegetation. Different vegetation densities were featured in six experimental setups. The Boundary Layer Characteristics Method (BLCM) was employed to predict bed shear stress, and a force balance approach was used for calculating bulk drag coefficients. It was found that an increase in vegetation density leads to a rise in the bulk drag coefficient. The presence of vegetation was observed to significantly alter the flow field, causing a redirection of flow from vegetated to unvegetated areas. Contrary to the common assumption in many studies that the bulk drag coefficient equals one, the findings from these experiments suggested this assumption might not be accurate. Additionally, the impact of vegetation on bed friction, often overlooked, was investigated. Two classic bed friction models, which do not account for flow field heterogeneities due to vegetation, and the BLCM, which considers these heterogeneities, were used to estimate bed friction. These estimates were then used in a flow resistance model to predict total friction, including both bed and vegetation friction. The effectiveness of the BLCM over the classic models suggests inaccuracies in the assumption that vegetation does not impact bed friction.</p>