DISCHARGE/STREAMFLOW MEASUREMENT

There are many different uses of streamflow data such as in

water supply, irrigation, flood control, and energy generation. Often,
it is required to measure other parameters to derive discharge.

1. Velocity-Area Method.
• Obtain a near instantaneous value of the discharge of a river.
The discharge Q of a river being measured by means of
measuring velocities (vi), representative for the part Ai of the
area (A), in a suitable cross section.
A n
Q =  v dA =  v (A )
i
i i

Current Meter - is used to the measure velocity in a channel.

v = a + bN
 where,
a = starting velocity required to overcome mechanical
friction
b = proportionality constant
N = number of revolutions per second

Procedure:

a) Divide the stream into a number of vertical sections. No section

should include more than 10% of the total flow; thus 20 to 30
vertical sections are typical, depending on the width of the stream.
b) Measure the total depth of water by sounding with the meter cable.
c) Raise meter to 0.8 depth and 0.2 depth and measure the
respective velocities. The average of these velocities equals the
mean velocity in the vertical. In shallow water near shore, a single
velocity determination at 0.6 depth may be used.
d) Compute average velocity in each vertical by averaging velocities
at 0.8 depth and 0.2 depths.
e) Multiply the average velocity in a vertical by the area of a vertical
section extending halfway to adjacent verticals. This area is
taken as the measured depth at the vertical times the width of the
section.
f) Add the increments of discharge in the several verticals.
Incremental discharge in the shore section is taken as zero.
Note: Access to individual verticals of a section may be obtained
by wading if the water is shallow. At high stages the meter must be
lowered from an overhead support like bridge. Where no existing
bridge is suitable, a special cableway may be used.
Midsection Method
In this method, the stream cross section is divided into rectangular subsections
as shown in the figure. At the center of each of these subsections (called
a vertical), a depth and velocity measurement is made, and the distance from a
datum point on the shore is determined.
Example:
Sounding and current meter measurement data for Sapang Baho
are shown below. The starting velocity and proportionality constant
after the current meter calibration are 0.04 and 0.7 respectively for
v in m/s. Compute the total streamflow and average velocity at
Sapang Baho.
Left Bank C.M. Depth
Depth, (m) Revolutions Time, (s)
Dist. (m) (m)
0.9 0.43 0.26 12 34
1.8 1.54 1.23 26 38
0.31 42 35
2.7 1.90 1.52 34 36
0.38 48 39
4.1 2.30 1.84 38 39
0.46 54 41
5.1 1.61 1.29 34 31
0.32 40 31
6.0 0.80 0.48 26 34
6.9 0.29 0.17 14 33
7.8 0.00
 Left Bank C.M. Depth
Depth, (m) Revolutions Time, (s)
Dist. (m) (m)
0.9 0.43 0.26 12 34
1.8 1.54 1.23 26 38
0.31 42 35
2.7 1.90 1.52 34 36
0.38 48 39
4.1 2.30 1.84 38 39
0.46 54 41
5.1 1.61 1.29 34 31
0.32 40 31
6.0 0.80 0.48 26 34
6.9 0.29 0.17 14 33
7.8 0.00

4.1

2.7

1.8

0.9

0.29
0.43
0.80
1.61
1.54
1.90
2.30
v = a + bN starting velocity and proportionality constant after the
current meter calibration are 0.04 and 0.7

Left Bank C.M. Depth Revolu- velocity vave

Depth (m) Time N (rev/s)
Dist. (m) (m) tions (m/s) (m/s)
0 0.00
0.9 0.43 0.26 12 34 0.35 0.29 0.29
1.8 1.54 1.23 26 38 0.68 0.52 0.70
0.31 42 35 1.20 0.88
2.7 1.90 1.52 34 36 0.94 0.70 0.80
0.38 48 39 1.23 0.90
4.1 2.30 1.84 38 39 0.97 0.72 0.84
0.46 54 41 1.32 0.96
5.1 1.61 1.29 34 31 1.10 0.81 0.88
0.32 40 31 1.29 0.94
6.0 0.80 0.48 26 34 0.76 0.58 0.58
6.9 0.29 0.17 14 33 0.42 0.34 0.34
7.8 0.00
 4.1
2.7
1.8
0.9

0.29
0.43
0.80
1.61
1.54
1.90 2.30

Left Bank  Area  Qinc

Depth (m) Width (m) vave (m/s)
Dist. (m) (m2) (m3/s)
0 0.00
0.9 0.43 0.90 0.39 0.29 0.11
1.8 1.54 0.90 1.39 0.70 0.97
2.7 1.90 1.15 2.19 0.80 1.75
4.1 2.30 1.20 2.76 0.84 2.32
5.1 1.61 0.95 1.53 0.88 1.34
6.0 0.80 0.90 0.72 0.58 0.41
6.9 0.29 0.90 0.26 0.34 0.09
7.8 0.00
ATOT ---> 9.23 QTOT ---> 7.00

VAVE = QTOT/ATOT ---> 0.76 m/s

2. Slope-Area Method.
• Usually used in computing flood discharges. This method is
less accurate and application is usually considered as an ad
hoc method if other methods are not feasible.
• High-water or flood marks along reach of channel permit
determination of the water-surface slope at the time of peak
and cross sections of the channel are determined by leveling
or sounding.
• The area and hydraulic radius are then calculated and the
discharge is computed using the Manning’s formula.
21
1
Q = AR 3 S 2
n
where,
Q= discharge in m3/s
A= area of the channel in m2
R= hydraulic radius (area/wetted perimeter) in m
S= water surface slope
3. Sluice gate and Spillway.
• Usually used in computing discharges at dams.
• It has the same hydraulic properties as the orifice.
• Calibration tests are advisable if accurate measurements are
to be determined since its coefficient of discharge varies
widely

Q = CA 2 g (d1 − d 2 ) + V1
2

where,
Q = discharge in m3/s
C = sluice gate coefficient
A = area of the opening in m2
d1, d2 = depth of water before and after passing
the sluice gate
V1 = velocity of water before the sluice gate
4. Weirs and Flumes.
• Usually used for flow measurements in small streams.
• Such structures have the advantage that they are less
sensitive to the downstream conditions like the channel
roughness and backwater effect.
• These devices are rated on the basis of laboratory calibration,
although the rating may be checked in place with current
meters.

Q = CL (H + hv )2 − hv 2 
 3 3

 
where,
Q= discharge in m3/s
C= weir or flume coefficient
H= depth of water above the crest.
hv = velocity head of approach
5. Dilution Gauging.
- Tracers are often used in mountain streams with high
turbulence and without clearly defined channel.
- A good tracer needs to be non-reactive, besides it should be
as harmless as possible for the environment.
- The concentration of the tracer is then monitored by
measuring the electric conductance in the river.
- the following conditions have to be fulfilled: (i) the background
concentration of the stream has to be known, (ii) it should not
change during the experiment, (iii) the tracer is totally
intermixed with the water in the stream (no backwater
effects), and (iv) there are no water losses nor inputs between
the injection and measurement locations.

where M is the injected mass of the tracer, c(t) the

concentration evolution over time and co the background
concentration of the stream
6. Floats.
• Rough measurements of discharge can be made by timing the
speed of floats.
• During peak flows, floats are the most appropriate instruments
used for measuring discharges since they are cheap and easy
to improvise.
• A surface float travels with a velocity, which is about 1.2 times
the mean velocity.