STREAM GAUGING

Stream flow records

• Stream flow serves man in
• supplies water for domestic
• commercial and industrial use
• irrigation water for crops
• dilution and transport of wastes
• energy for hydroelectric power etc.

• Records of stream flow are the basic data

used in developing reliable surface water
supplies because the records provide
information on the availability of stream
flow and its variability in time and space.
 Stream flow records
• The records are therefore used in the
planning and design of surface water
related projects, and they are also used
in the management or operation of such
projects after the projects have been
completed.
• Stream flow records are also used for
calibrating hydrological models, which
are used for forecasting, such as flood
forecasting.
SELECTION OF GAUGING STATION SITES

• General location of a gauging

station (called Channel Control) is
determined in such a way that to
obtain the best locally available
conditions for stage and
discharge measurement and for
developing a stable discharge
rating.
SELECTION OF GAUGING STATION SITES

• The channel control may be

• Natural
Artificial
Artificial
SELECTION OF GAUGING STATION SITES
SELECTION OF GAUGING STATION SITES
 Measurement of River Stage

• The river stage is measured by two

types of gauges.

• Recording Type Gauges

• Non Recording Type Gauges
 Measurement of River Stage
• Several types of non-recording gauges for
measuring stage are used in hydrometric
practice. The common gauges are of the
following types:
• (a) Graduated vertical staff gauge;
• (b) Ramp or inclined gauge;
• (c) Sectional Staff
Vertical Staff
Sectional Staff
Inclined Staff
Measurement of River Stage
• Recording Gauges:
– These are similar to the non-recording
gauges but have some arrangement to
give a continuous record.
– In recording gauges motion of a float for
example is recorded on a chart, and
– In a continuous recorder, the motion of
the float moves a pen across a long strip
chart.
– The chart is usually 25 cm wide and at a
scale of 1:12. When the pen reaches the
edge of the chart it reverses direction and
records the next readings in the other
directions across the chart.
 Measurement of River Stage
• Recording Gauges
• A stage sensor is a device that automatically
determines (senses) the vertical position of the
water surface.
• This may be a float riding on the water surface
inside a stilling well.
• It may be a non-submerged pressure transducer.
• It may be a submerged pressure transducer
coupled with an electronic cable to transmit the
hydrostatic pressure for determining the water level.
• Or it may be an acoustic, laser, or optical pulse that
reflects from the water surface to other instruments
designed and calibrated for measuring gauge
height.
Float Type Gauge
Float Type Gauge
Measurement of River Stage
• Crest - Stage Gauge
– A third type of stage measuring
device is the crest gauge, used to
obtain a record of flood crests at
sites where recording gauges are
not installed. It gives the
information about maximum water
level in the past.
Measurement of River Stage
• Crest - Stage Gauge
– Water-soluble paints on bridge
piers where they are protected
from rain and can indicate a
definite high water mark are also
in use as crest stage gauge.
USGS Crest Stage Gauge
Discharge Measurement

• Stream discharge represents the

runoff phase of the hydrologic cycle.
Stream discharge can be measured
more accurately than other
components of hydrologic cycle
such as precipitation, evaporation,
infiltration etc.
• Methods for determining discharge
can be classified as.
– Velocity area method (free flow method)
– Measurement by permanent structures
– Chemical gauging method
Free Flow Method (Velocity Area
Method)

• In these methods certain

instruments are used to observe,
the velocity in the stream, and the
discharge is calculated from the
data thus obtained.
• In this method the regime of the
channel is not affected. i.e. for
example depth remains unaffected
when instrument is inserted in
stream
Free Flow Method (Velocity Area
Method)
• Also free flow method can be
employed at any suitable section.
• The basic principle that Q =AV is
used in this method.
Where
Q = Discharge
A = Area of cross-section of flow and
V = mean flow velocity.
Free Flow Method (Velocity Area
Method)
• This needs measurement of mean
velocity of flow and the flow cross-
sectional area. The channel is divided
in to sub-sections, the mean velocity
and the area of flow is measured at
each sub-section and finally the total
discharge is the sum of the discharges
through these sub-sections.

Q=q1+q2+q3+………………..+ qn

• Where Q is total discharge and qi is

discharge through a sub-section ‘i’ of
stream.
Finding Mean Velocity:-

• The velocity in the free flow

method is found by
– Current meter
– Pitot tube
– Floats
 Current Meter
• A current meter is an instrument used to
measure velocity of water in open
channels or streams. One of the most
commonly used current meter is the Price
Meter.

• This type of current meter is used by U.S.

geological survey. It consists of six
conical cups rotating about a vertical axis.

• Electric contacts driven by the cups close

a circuit through a battery and a wire of
supporting cable, causes a click in
headphones worn by the operator for
each revolution of cups.
 Current Meter
• For shallow depths wading (depth
measurement by rods) is done.
• For measurements in deep water the
meter is suspended from a cable.
• The meter reader is either in a boat or
on a bridge. There is a heavy weight
suspended at the bottom of this cable to
keep the whole family vertical.
• The velocity of water is given as

V = a + bN

• Where N is the number of revolutions

per second of cups and a , b are the
coefficients for a given current meter
 Current Meter
• Following steps are adopted to take
measurements by the current meter
– Measuring depth of flow (sounding)
– Taking reading for “N”, the revolutions per
second
 Current Meter
• Measuring depth of flow

– The depth is measured by a rigid rod

called wading rod or by a sounding
weight suspended from a cable. The
cable is controlled either by a reel fixed
on a pulley or by hand line of a bridge.
– The wading rod is placed in the stream
so that the base plate rests on the
stream bed and the depth of water is
read on the graduated main rod.
 Current Meter
– A sounding weight (Coulomb’s Weight)
is suspended below the current meter
to keep it stationary in the water.
– The weights offer minimum resistance
to flowing water and have sufficient
weight not to be taken away by the
water.
– Reading is taken when the weights just
touch the water surface. These are
further lowered till these touch the
base of the channel. The reading of
reel is taken again. The difference of
these readings gives the depth of flow.
 Current Meter
• Methods of Measuring Average
Velocity
– There are four alternatives for
current meter readings.
• Single point Method
• Two point Method
• Multiple Point Method
• Direct Integration Method
– To decide which method should be
used, the governing factors are
• How much accuracy is required?
• The time available
• The behavior of stream
• Methods of Measuring
Average Velocity

– Single Point Method:

• The current meter is placed at

0.6 of depth below the water
surface to find mean velocity.
This is least time consuming
method. This is done when the
depth of flow is less than 1 m.
• The average velocity is denoted
as V=V0.6d Where V0.6d
represents velocity at 0.6 of
depth.
• Methods of Measuring Average
Velocity
Two point Method
• The current meter is placed at
two points. First the reading is
taken at 0.2 of depth from the
surface and then at 0.8 of the
depth from the surface. This is
more accurate than one point
method.

• The average velocity is mean of

the velocity at 0.2 depth and that
at 0.8 depth.
• V= (V0.2d+V0.8d)/2
Multiple Point Method
• In this method current
meter is placed at different
points. Velocity at each
point is measured and
then mean of these
velocities is taken.
• This method is although
accurate but is very time
consuming.
 Direct Integration Method:
• This method is same as that at No. (3).
In this method it is essential that the
worker should be an experienced
person.
• The current meter is lowered from the
surface to the bed of stream with the
uniform velocity and from bed of
channel to the surface with the same
velocity.
• The number of revolutions made by the
propeller is recorded and then dividing it
by time consumed in this operation
gives the mean velocity directly.
• The behavior of flow in channel is also
an important factor i.e. in case of
unsteady flow where the discharge is
changing during the measurements
(floods etc) this method can be used.
Measurement By Wading Rods
– The wading rod is placed in the
stream so that the base of the rod
rests on the stream bed and the
depth of water is read on the
graduated main rod.

– The wading rod is used to hold the

current meter when the depth of
stream is not high and the stream
section is known to be safe. For
deep streams which are dangerous
for wading the current meter is
held by cable having sounding
weights.
– When the depth is up to 1m,
then the velocity
measurement may be taken
by help of Current meter at
0.6d.
– If depth is more than 1m,
then current meter is placed
at 0.2d and 0.8d and mean
velocity is calculated by

V=( V0.2d +V0.8d) / 2

• Measurement From Bridge
– We can measure the depth of water
from upstream as well as down stream
side of the bridge.

– On the upstream side the hydraulic

characteristics are usually more
favorable, and the stream bed is less
likely to scour.

– The meter is suspended from a

handrail of the bridge or a sounding
reel supported by a bridge board or a
portable crane
• The method of measurement of depth and
velocity is same as discussed earlier.
However the current meter is not used near
the bridge piers and abutments.
Measurements from a Cable-Way:
– The cable way provides a track for
the operation of a cable from which
an observer takes measurement on
current meter. Cable also supports
the sounding reel and other
necessary equipment.

– The car is moved from one point to

another on the cable-way by means
of rollers.

– The depth is measured by sounding

reel and the velocity is measured by
current meter
 Measurement From Boat
– If the cable- way and bridge are not
available and the water depth is too
deep to be waded, a boat is used.
– The measurement is made by first
stretching the tag line across the stream
and then moving the boat at each tag to
take depth and velocity measurements.
– When the stream is very wide and the
tag line can not be used the boat can be
kept in position at the cross-section by
lining up with flags position on each end
of the cross - section.
– The position of the boat is determined by
a transit on the shore and a stadia rod
held in the boat
 Pitot Tube
• A pitot tube can also be used for
measurement of velocity in order to
calculate discharge in laboratory flumes or
very small streams.

• However the use of pitot tube may not be

recommended for rivers due to following
reason.

• Supporting the pitot tube is very difficult

when the channel is very wide and deep.

• The head generated by a pitot tube in

open channel is generally very small due
to very low velocities, and therefore
discharge can not be accurately
measured.
 Pitot Tube
• The use of pitot tube may however
be recommended for estimating
discharge in laboratory flumes and
small channels.

• The formula for calculating velocity

is
V= (2gh)0.5

• Where h is water height in tube

above surface of water. It is the
velocity head.
Pitot Tube
 Floats
• This method consists of putting a float in
the channel and noting the time and
distance covered by the float.

• The velocity will be equal to the distance

traveled in a unit time. i.e.

Vs=S/t and V=0.85Vs

• Where S is distance covered by float in

time t.

• A straight reach of the channel is to be

selected where the depth is nearly
uniform.
• Type-1 floats: The float is kept on the surface of
water, specific distance and time is noted as
mentioned earlier. The velocity of float is determined
which is the velocity at the surface of water. The
mean
• Type-2 floats: velocity then is about 0.85 of
surface velocity.
• Some weight is put in the water attached with a flag
kept above water surface, the string length is so
adjusted so that the weight is at a depth of 0.60 of
total depth. This directly gives the mean velocity.