Streamflow measurement

Learning outcomes
• By the end of the lesson, students should be
able to:
– Understand the term stage flow
– Identify stream flow measurements and apparatus
– Able to calculate discharge by using velocity area
method (mean section method & mid-section
method)

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 Introduction
• Streamflow / stream discharge: quantity of water
flowing in a stream.
• Discharge is expressed in terms of volume per unit
time passing any given point in the stream.
• Unit: m3/s ( cumecs)
• A stream reach: a section of stream with relatively
constant bed slope, cross section & discharge.
• Stream discharge varies with time & season e.g. dry
& wet season.

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 River stage
• Defined as the river water surface elevation measured
above a datum (MSL or any arbitrary level chosen for
convenience).
• Measured using non-recording gauges or recording
gauges.
• Non-recording gauges:
– Staff gauge, wire gauge
• Recording gauges:
– Float-gauge recorder, bubble gauge

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Staff gauge

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Wire gauge

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Float-gauge recorder

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 Measurement of depth

Wading Sounding Sonic

rod weight sounder

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Wading rod

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Sounding weight

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 Example 5.1
• A stream gauging is conducted using sounding
weight suspended by a hand line from a
bridge. The total depth of the sound line from
the rail of the bridge is 8.25 m. The depth up to
the water surface is 4.4 m. If the distance from
the center of the current meter to the bottom of
the weight is 0.3 m, determine the position of
the current meter at 0.2d and 0.8d in the
stream.
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 Solution example 5.1
aef  8.25m
ab  4m
Distance from the bottom of weight to current meter  0.3m
Depth of water, bc  aef  ab  8.25  4.40  3.85m

Position of current meter at 0.2d,

0.2d  ab  0.2bc  distance from the bottom of weight to current meter
 4.4  0.2(3.85)  0.3
 5.47 m from the bridge rail

Position of current meter at 0.8d,

0.8d  aef  0.2bc  distance from the bottom of weight to current meter
 8.25  0.2(3.85)  0.3
 7.78m from the bridge rail

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Sonic sounder

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 Measurement of discharge

Direct method Indirect method

Dilution Chezy/
Velocity Control
gauging Manning
area method structures
method eqn

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 Velocity area method
• Normally velocity is measured and multiplied to
the cross-sectional area to get the discharge.
• Velocity is measured by using float or current
meter.
• Floats: surface velocity & requires correction
factor to get the average velocity over a depth.
• Current meter: cup type & propeller. Both need to
be calibrated to get the relationship between rate
of revolutions of the cup or propeller & velocity.
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 Example 5.2
A stream cross section has been divide into five
subsections as shown Figure. The area of each
subsection and its mean velocity are given in Table.
Calculate the stream flow of the cross section.

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Subsection Area (m2) Mean velocity, v(m/s)
I 10.0 0.05
II 15.4 0.07
III 25.0 0.10
IV 32.4 0.08
V 12.0 0.06

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Subsection Area (m2) Mean velocity, v(m/s) Discharge, Q(m3/s)
I 10.0 0.05 0.50
II 15.4 0.07 1.08
III 25.0 0.10 2.50
IV 32.4 0.08 2.59
V 12.0 0.06 0.72
Total 7.39

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• Divide river cross-section to vertical sections.
• Measure velocities at a number of depths to get
the velocity distribution – 0.2d & 0.8d.
• Calculate the mean velocity.
• Shallow depth: 0.6d as representative mean
velocity.
• Discharge at section can be calculated by:
– Mean section method
– Mid-section method
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Current meter

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 Mean section method
vi 1  vi d i 1  d i bi 1  bi
Q  
2 2 2

vi 1  mean veloc ity of preceding vertical

vi  mean veloc ity of vertical
d i 1  depth of preceding vertical
d i  depth of vertical
bi 1  distance of preceding vertical
bi  distance of vertical

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 Mid-section method

Q   vi d i 
bi 1  bi 1 
2

bi 1  distance of the following vertical

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 Example 5.3
• Based on current meter gauging in Table 5.3,
compute the streamflow using mean section
method and mid-section method.
Distance form left bank Depth Mean velocity
b (m) d (m) v (m/s)
0.4 0.000 0.000
9.0 1.131 0.330
12.0 1.740 0.357
15.0 1.993 0.358

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 Mean section method
bi (m) di (m) vi (m/s) vi 1  vi d i 1  d i bi  bi 1 qi (m3/s)
2 2
4.0 0.000 0.000 0.165 0.565 5.0 0.466
9.0 1.131 0.330 0.343 1.435 3.0 1.477
12.0 1.740 0.357 0.358 1.867 3.0 2.005
15.0 1.993 0.358 0.356 2.025 3.0 2.163

vi 1  vi v21  v2 v1  v2 0  0.330
    0.165m / s
2 2 2 2
d i 1  d i d 21  d 2 d1  d 2 0  1.131
    0.565m
2 2 2 2
bi  bi 1 b2  b21 b2  b1 9  4
    5.0m
2 2 2 2
v v d d b b
q  i 1 i  i 1 i  i i 1  0.165  0.565  5.0  0.466m3 / s
2 2 2
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 Mid-section method
bi (m) di (m) vi (m/s) bi 1  bi 1 qi (m3/s)
2

4.0 0.000 0.000 0.0 0.00

9.0 1.131 0.330 4.0 1.493
12.0 1.740 0.357 3.0 1.864
: : : : :
Σ 20610

bi 1  bi 1 b21  b21 b3  b1 12  4
    4m
2 2 2 2
b b
q  d i  vi  i 1 i 1  1.131 0.330  4  1.493m3 / s
2

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 Exercise 5.1
The following data were collected during a stream
gauging operation in a river. Compute discharge using
mean and mid section method.
Distance from bank, b (m) Total depth, d Velocity
(m)
0.2 d 0.8d
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0
1.5 1.3 0.6 0.4
3.0 2.5 0.9 0.6
4.5 1.7 0.7 0.5
6.0 1.0 0.6 0.4
7.5 0.4 0.4 0.3
9.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

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Submission of Tutorial 5:
13th July 2011
PLKN room
6 pm

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 The end

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ECW311