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STREAM GAUGING
LECTURE 10

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 STREAM GAUGING: GENERAL
Stream flow data is primarily gathered by hydrologists for hydrologic studies of
projects. Projects may be Dams, Barrages, Irrigation, Drainage, Flood control
projects, etc.
For hydro projects, stream flow data is basic data on which other aspects of
project are dependent. Hydro data is a must for water related projects,
especially; bridges, culverts, spillways, reservoirs, food plain delineation and
flood warning systems

Generally, it is difficult to make direct and continuous measurement of discharge

but relatively simple to obtain a continuous record of stage
Adequate co-relation is developed in this regard at a certain stream section

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 IMPORTANCE OF STREAM GAUGING
Streams provide water, that can be used for:
 water supply for human settlements and animals
 Irrigation water for plants
 Energy/power production
 Navigation in the channel
Stream flow may cause:
 Floods that increase hardship and cause damage
Data gathered at a stream gauging station usually comprises of
 Stage
 Discharge
 Sediment (to develop sedigraphs)
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 SITE SELECTION OF STREAM GAUGE
The stage gauge is installed within the influence of a CONTROL (factor influencing the
stage discharge relation)
Relationship between the stage and discharge is controlled by:
 A control section (Fall, rapids, etc), or by
 Reach of stream (roughness, slope, shape of section)

Control should be permanent.

Usually, Channel Control is not permanent due to deposition and erosion.
Artificial controls can be built in a stream channel to stabilize relation between stage
and discharge, they may be
 low dams,
 broad crested weirs, or
 Parshal Flumes
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 SELECTION OF HYDROLOGICAL STATION SITE
1. The stream course is STRAIGHT for about 300 feet upstream and downstream of the
gauge site.
2. The streambed in the vicinity of the site is not subject to SCOUR AND FILL. It should
be free of aquatic PLANTS.
3. The BANKS of the stream channel are permanent. They are free of bush and high
enough to contain floods.
4. Opportunity to install an ARTIFICIAL CONTROL
5. Possibility of no backwater effect from D/S TRIBUTARIES
6. Stable metering /measuring section
7. Minimum DEBRIS AND FLOATING MATTER
8. The site is ACCESSIBLE for installation and OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE of the
gaging site. The selection of a gaging site is again a compromise between these
criteria.
9. POWER AND TELEPHONE line facility 6
 STAGE
STAGE is “Elevation of surface of water
above an arbitrary datum”
River stage is an important concept when
analyzing how much water is moving in a
stream at any given moment
A record of stream stage is useful in itself for
designing bridges, embankments, levees, and
other structures affected by stream elevations,
or in planning for the use of flood plains

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 STAGE
Datum of the gauge might be a recognized datum such as North
American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) or SURVEY OF PAKISTAN
DATUM (SPD) or an arbitrary datum selected by a user.
Sometimes datum is taken as Mean Sea Level (MSL)
For each gauging station, maintain a permanent datum that has at least
three permanent reference marks that are independent of the gage
structure

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 STAGE MEASUREMENTS
The gauge is an instrument used for the purpose of determining
stage at a gauging site
Q H
Reliability in the discharge record, depends on the reliability of
the gauge height record
Gauge heights might be achieved by Systematic observations
of
 Non-recording gauges
 Recording gauges
 Crest gauges
 Automatic water levels and sensors 9
 STREAM FLOW MEASUREMENTS
1. Direct methods (stream gauging)
(a) Area-velocity methods
(b) Dilution techniques
(c) Electromagnetic method
(d) Ultrasonic method.
2. Hydraulic Devices
 Weirs and notches
 Orifices
 Flumes
3. Indirect Techniques
 Slope-area method
 Rating Curve

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 AREA VELOCITY METHODS
Q= A x V

It is desirable to complete the measurements

with a minimum change in stage
Stream is divided into a number of vertical
sections
No section should include more than 10% of
the total flow (20-30 Vertical sections)
Velocity varies in parabolic form from 0 at
the channel bed to a maximum value at or
near surface
This is developed by many field tests
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 CURRENT METER METHOD
Types of current meter
 Price Current meter
 Propeller type current meter

Price Current Meter

 Most common current meter in USA, Price
meter. Also Called USGS AA Current
meter

For stream measurement: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NfZfHy-Bfc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_k1BTDjZfbU
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For repair/service of current meter see: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=701eBrjUr84
 CURRENT METER METHOD
Price Current Meter
 Consists of 6 conical cups, rotating about a vertical axis
 Electric contacts driven by cups close a circuit through the battery and the wire of
supporting cable to cause a click for each revolution (sometimes for 5 revolutions)
 This click sound is heard by the operator through Headphones
 Some times digital counters are used to count number of revolutions
 For measurement in deep water, the meter is suspended with a cable
 Tail vane keeps the meter facing into the current
Schematic sketch of price meter
 Sounding weight keeps the meter vertical
 Sometimes cranes are used to support meter over bridge rail

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Conical cups
 CURRENT METER METHOD
Price Current Meter
 In shallow water meter is mounted on a rod as the observer wades (Walks)
through the stream and notes down number of revolutions

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 CURRENT METER METHOD
Propeller type Current Meter
 In this type a propeller rotates about a horizontal
axis
 Contacting mechanism is same
 Sediment may entrap in the bearing
 All the measurement procedure remains the same

Contact
Chamber

Wading Rod

Propellers

Foot Plate 15
 RATING OF CURRENT METER
Rating of current meter is to establish relationship between point velocity
of flow in a stream and the revolution per second of current meter
It is done on a flume 400’ x 6’ x 6’ (length x width x depth)
Electronically driven car rides on rails extending the length of the flume.
The car carries current meter at constant rate through still water in the
flume
𝑉= 400’
6’
and N are counted revolutions per second and rating curves are
developed
6’
V= (a + b) N
Where a and b are calibration constants and N number of
revolutions/sec
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 CURRENT METER METHOD
Propeller type Current Meter

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CURRENT METER MEASUREMENT

V
Velocity

Depth

Horizontal velocity Profile Vertical velocity Profile

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CURRENT METER METHOD

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 CURRENT METER MEASUREMENTS
Mean Velocity:
 Is equal to average of the velocities at 2
tenths and 8 tenths depth below water,
Or
 is equal to velocity at 6 tenths below the
water surface

Velocity Measurements:
 Six-tenths depth (Shallow Flows)
 Two point method (Deep Flows)
 Three Point method (very deep flows)

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Steps
CURRENT METER MEASUREMENTS
 Divide the entire cross-section in 20-30 vertical sections (Qi <10% Q)
 Measure total depth(D) at a point, by sounding with meter cable
 Take meter to 0.2D depth below the water surface and start the stop watch on an
impulse and count number of revolutions and stop the stop watch at the next impulse Air Line
by current meter
 V=a + b N, N is revolution per sec, and a, b are calibrating constant for the current Ѳ
meter. Water Surface
 Place the current meter to 0.8D depth below the water surface and measure number
of revolutions per sec.
 In shallow waters only one velocity measurement is sufficient at 0.6D depth
 If velocities are higher, current meter and sounding weight will not be able to hang
vertically below the point of suspension Stream bed
 Under this condition meter is higher than indicated depth
Stream having strong current
 Apply Correction
 Ѳ=12o Error ≈ 2 %

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CURRENT METER MEASUREMENTS
Steps
 Compute average velocity in each vertical section
𝑉 =𝑉.
. .
𝑉 = or

𝑉. + 2𝑉 . 𝑉 .
𝑉 =
4

 Compute Discharge in each vertical section

𝑄 =𝑉.𝐴
 Integrate Qi for the entire cross section
Q = ∑𝑄 =∑𝑉.𝐴

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 NUMERICAL PROBLEM
Distance from Depth (ft) Meter Depth (ft) Revolutions (R) Time (sec)
bank (ft)
0 0 0 0 0
Compute the stream flow for the 2 1 0.6 10 50
measurements of data given. Take the 4 3.5 2.8 22 55
0.7 35 52
meter rating from equation with a= 0.1
6 5.2 4.2 28 53
and b=2.2 for v in ft/sec. 1 40 58
9 6.3 5 32 58
1.3 45 60
V = a + bN (ft/s)
11 4.4 3,5 28 45
a=0.1 0.9 33 46
b=2.2 13 2.2 1.3 22 50
0.5 12 49

Also report mean velocity and mean …..

depth for the section.

0 2 4 6 9 11 13 15 17

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 NUMERICAL PROBLEM
V = a + bN (ft/s) a=0.1, b=2.2
Distance Depth Meter Revolutions Time N (Rev/Sec) V (ft/sec) Vmean Width of Area of Q= a . Vmean
from bank (ft) Depth (ft) (sec) (ft/sec) section (ft) section (ft2)
(ft)
0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

2 1 0.6 10 50 0.2 0.54 0.54 2 2 1.08

4 3.5 2.8 22 55 0.40 0.98 1.28 2 7 8.96

0.7 35 52 0.67 1.58
6 5.2 4.2 28 53 0.53 1.36 1.44 2.5 13 18.72
1 40 58 0.69 1.62
9 6.3 5 32 58 0.55 1.31 1.53 2.5 15.75 24.13
1.3 45 60 0.75 1.75
11 4.4 3,5 28 45 0.62 1.47 1.57 2 8.8 13.85
0.9 33 46 0.72 1.68
13 2.2 1.3 22 50 0.44 1.07 0.85 2 4.4 3.75
0.5 12 49 0.24 0.64
15 0.8 0.5 12 49 0.24 0.64 0.64 2 1.6 1.02

17 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0

52.55 71.51
Sum 27
 NUMERICAL PROBLEM
Results:
Q= 71.51 Cfs
∑ .
Vmean = ∑
= =1.36 ft/s
.
∑ .
Hydraulic Depth= Dmean = = = 3.09 ft

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 DILUTION METHODS
Developed in 1863
Effective in flashy and turbulent hilly streams where current meters are difficult
to use
Also for closed conduits such as penstocks, sewer pipelines current meter is not
a measurement tool.
The method involves the injection of a chemical/ tracer into the flow and to
obtain samples of the chemical water at a section d/s where dozing
solution initially was mixed with the stream water
Basic Assumptions:
 Mixing of the tracer dye with river flow which can be better achieved in turbulent streams

Chief advantage:
 Precise knowledge of section geometry is not required

Disadvantage:
 Expensive for measuring large streams and special equipment is required 30
DILUTION METHOD

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DILUTION METHOD

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DILUTION METHOD

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 DILUTION METHODS
Reach Characteristics:
 No loss or gain of water in the reach
 Mixing must be complete at the sampling station
 Wide channels and reaches with bifurcation should be avoided
 Pools of dead water zones should be avoided
 A reach where turbulence is high is to be preferred, bends narrows and water falls are good
aids for mixing.

Common Tracers used

 Salt solutions
 Radioactive tracers
 Fluorescent dyes

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 DILUTION METHOD FOR DISCHARGE
MEASUREMENT
Injection methods:
 Sudden Injection
 Constant rate of injection

Sudden Injection
 In this method a known volume V of the dozing solution or tracer is added to the stream as rapidly as
possible
 Sample are then taken at regular intervals of time and chemical concentration
 A curve is plotted between time and concertation called as Time-concentration curve

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 DILUTION METHOD FOR DISCHARGE
MEASUREMENT
Sudden Injection

Concentration

Time
𝐴𝑟𝑒𝑎 = 𝐶 . 𝑑𝑡

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 DILUTION METHOD FOR DISCHARGE
MEASUREMENT
Sudden Injection
Assumptions
 There is no loss of tracer between the injection and sampling section
 Area under the curve is same at different points of the sampling cross-sections

Advantages
 Minimum amount of solution is required
 More economical as continuous injection is not required
 Less sensitive to the position of the sampling station

Disadvantage
 Sampling and analysis for this method is rigorous

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 DILUTION METHOD FOR DISCHARGE
MEASUREMENT
Constant rate of Injection
 In this method dozing of the chemical/ tracer has to be continued at a constant predetermined
rate until the concentration of the chemical at the sampling point is constant at the sampling
point where mixing is inadequate

Assumptions
 Amount of tracer between the injection of the sampling section is constant during the period of
sampling
 Concentration of the tracer is constant in the sampling cross section

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NUMERICAL

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 ULTRASONIC METHOD
Also known as Time-Transit method
Can provide continuous discharge measurement
Transducer
Sonic pulses are emitted from transducers on opposite banks and 45o
located on a line about 45o from the direction of the flow. One pulse
L
has a component with the stream velocity and the other is opposed
V
The difference in pulse velocity can be related to mean water velocity VP
at the level of transducers
Transducer
By using several pairs at different levels and water level indicator, the
discharge at the station can be computed
Procedure is accurate within

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 HYDRAULIC DEVICES
By construction of regular structures
Spillways, sluice gates, turbine gates
Weirs and notches
Flumes (Parshal Flume, Venturi Flume)
Highway culverts

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 WEIRS AND NOTCHES
Weirs and notches

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Flumes
FLUMES

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NUMERICAL

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 STAGE-DISCHARGE RELATIONS
Rating Curve
Dispersion of the measured data should be <2% (standard deviation)
Larger dispersion indicates
 Control shifts more or less continuously (scour, deposition and growth of vegetation)
 Water surface slope varies at the control as a result of backwater
 Measurements are not carefully made

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 EXTENSION OF RATING CURVE
To interpolate the g-Q relation
No completely satisfactory method for extrapolating a rating curve beyond the
highest measured discharge

1. logarithmic method
2. A method

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 ASSIGMENT#3
Question#:1 Differentiate between:
Non-recording gauges
 Recording gauges
 Crest gauges
 Automatic water levels and sensors
Deadline: 22nd November 2023

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