STREAMFLOW

MEASUREMENTS
 STREAMFLOW MEASUREMENTS
Streamflow - the volume of water moving down a
stream or river per unit of time, commonly
expressed in cusec or cumec;
- related to water supply, flood control, reservoir
design, navigation, irrigation, drainage, water
quality, and others.
Stream gauge provides continuous
flow over time at one location for
water resources and environmental
management or other purposes;
- serves as the basis for many water
resources engineering designs.
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
• Gauging station - the place or section on a stream
where discharge measurements are made.
• Stream stage (also called stage or gauge height)
- the height of water surface above an established altitude
where the stage is zero/an arbitrary datum.
- Measure height of water and relate to discharge with a
rating curve
Gauges measuring river stage:
▪ Staff gauge – vertical or inclined
▪ Suspended – weight gauge
▪ Recording gauge - automatic
stage recorder
▪ Crest-stage gauge (used to
indicate high water mark)

Dr. M Alauddin Recording gauge CED, DUET

 Stage-Discharge Relation
H H Q

t Q t

Stage Hydrograph Discharge Hydrograph

Stage-Discharge Curve
or Rating Curve

• Typical relationship: Q = m(H -h0)n , here h0 is supposed to

be the stage corresponding to zero discharge.
• The functional relationship between H & Q have to be
calibrated locally for different stations.
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Steps in Developing Rating Curve
❑ Make many simultaneous measurements of stage
and discharge;
❑ Fit with some function, e.g. Q = m(H -h0)n ;
❑ Then, any stage can be used to estimate discharge;
❑ Need to update rating curve if channel changes!
(e.g., after major flood)

In natural rivers, the H-Q

relationship in general
appears to be a loop, rather
than single-valued, called
storage hysteresis.

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Common Methods in measuring Discharge
1. Volumetric gauging: collect the stream water into a
container with known volume and record the time.
Suitable for small streams only.
2. Gauging with portable weirs and flumes: install man-
made V-shaped/rectangular plate (weir) or a constricted
short channel (flume), both with known height (stage)-flow
rate relationship.
3. Velocity-area method: measure the flow velocity and
area of a cross-section in a stream to derive the
discharge rate. Needs a proper cross-section to work
well.
4. Dilution gauging: inject a tracer (e.g., salt) into the
stream and measure its concentration at a downstream
location. Best method for turbulent streams with irregular
Dr. M Alauddin channels. CED, DUET
 Discharge Measurement
(A) Flow meters: Weirs, Flumes (Venturiflumes,
Parshall flume, etc.) are used for small channels (a
few meters wide or smaller).
Discharge is calculated as Q = CLH3/2, where Q =
stream discharge, C = coefficient of weir, L =
length of weir, H = head over the weir crest.
(B) Slope-Area method (without measuring
velocity):

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
Discharge Measurement …
(C) Area-Velocity method:
- measure the flow velocity and area of a
cross-section in a stream.
Discharge, Q = AV
Here the mean velocity of flow (V) is
computed from measured velocities at
various points with various setup.
Velocity Measurements
➢Pitot Tubes - Suitable only for clean water, V = √(2gh)
➢ Floats - Suitable for straight channel, V = L/T
➢Velocity rods – consist of a wooden rod (3-5cm size),
weighted by means of lead or cast iron rings, V = L/T.

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Discharge Measurement …

Tracer for flow

measurement
 Current Meters
Cups, Propellers (The rate at which the cups revolve is
directly related to the velocity of the water)
V = a + bN
where V = flow velocity; a = starting velocity to overcome
mechanical friction; b = equipment calibration constant
(determined by calibration in an experimental flume ); N =
revolutions/sec.
Velocity, m/s

b
1

Propeller Rotation, N
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
➢Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) uses
the Doppler effect to determine water velocity by sending a
sound pulse into the water and measuring the change in
frequency of that sound pulse reflected back to the ADCP
by sediment or other particulates being transported in the
water.
Discharge Computation
Discharge = Area x Mean velocity;
Channel cross-section is divided into
several subsections to measure depth
and velocity. Mean velocity in a vertical
can be approximated by making velocity
observations and using a known relation
between those velocities and the mean in A = bd
i i
the vertical; Q =VA
i i i
Discharge is determined by summing
Q = Q = V A
discharges in these subsections. i
i i i
 Mean Velocity in a Vertical
• Velocity Profile

Deph
If depth < 0.6m V=V ; 0.6 water depth from the water surface
0.6d

V +V
0.6m  Depth  2m V= 0.2d 0.8d
2

V + 2V +V
Depth  2m V= 0.2d 0.6d 0.8d
4
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 1. Mid-Section Method
A = bd
i i
Q =VA
i i i
Q = Q = V A
i i i
i

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

 2. Mean-Section Method
➢Subsection depth is
measured using a wading rod, if
b
A = (d + d ) conditions permit, or by
i 2 i i + 1 suspending a sounding weight
1 from a cable, or a boat.
V = ( V + Vi + 1)
i 2 i
Q =VA
i i i
Q = Q
i
i

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

 Extension of Rating Curve
➢ During the event of large flood, it is impossible or impractical
to measure discharge directly. More often, the flood stage
goes beyond the range of the data range used to define the
rating curve. Therefore, extrapolation of the rating curve is
needed;

➢ Graphical extension or by the fitted Q-h relationship is

adequate only for small extension;

➢ For large extrapolation beyond the active channel cross-

section, hydraulic formula can be used to estimate the stage-
discharge relation;
➢ Large errors can result if the functional form of rating curve,
Q = m(h –h0)n, is extrapolated beyond the recorded gauge
discharges without consideration of the cross-section
geometry and controls.
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 1. Steven A DExtension
Discharge from Chezy’s formula,
Q = AC RS …. (i)
with A = flow cross-section area; C = Chezy
coefficient; R = hydraulic radius, A/P; and S =
channel slope.

For a given section,C S= K a constant, and for a

wide channel, (B >10h) R  D. Therefore, from (i),
Q
Q= KA D

K
1
Dr. M Alauddin
A D CED, DUET
2. Stage-Discharge relationship can be expressed
m
Determining the values of m, n, h0
First the value of h0 is to be determined. Then the
values of m and n can be obtained from regression
analysis. Their best values are those for which the
sum of the squared deviations is minimum.
Way of determining h0
(i) First, a trial value of h0 is assumed and the plot
is made between Q and (h- h0 ) on log-log paper.
The nature of plot is observed; if the line is not
straight, another value for h0 to be taken, and thus
it is continued until the line is very close to straight.
An example of finding; here a = h0
The value of a = h0 is accepted for which the plot
between Q and (h - h0) is straight.

0.1

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET

Alternative methods of finding h0
(i) Let (QA,hA), (QB,hB) and (QC,hC) be three points on
the existing rating curve, such that QB = √ (QAQC),
i.e. discharges are in geometric progression (QA/QB =
QB/QC), then the value of h0 can be obtained as,
h0 = (hAhC-hB2 )/(hA+hC-2hB)
(ii) A vertical through B and a horizontal
through C are drawn to meet at D, and a
vertical through A and a horizontal
through B are drawn to meet at E. Then
lines BA and DE are extended to meet at
F. The ordinate of the point F gives the
desired value of h0 . The values of m and
n can then be determined from rating
equation. h0
Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET
 Example: Three points on the rating curve are (100,121.67),
(200,122.23) and (400,123.04). Rating curve? For H = 124.5m, Q = ?
Solution: h0 = (hAhC-hB2 )/(hA+hC-2hB)
= (121.67*123.04 – 122.232)/(121.67+123.04 – 2*122.23) = 120.42
Q1/Q2 = [m(h1 – h0)n]/[m(h2 - h0)n]; n = 1.875
Again, m = Q1/ (h1 – h0)n = 65.81; Q = 65.81(h-120.42)1.875 (ans.)
For H = 124.5, Q = 919.0 cumecs (ans.)
Assignment 2: The stream discharges for various stages at a
particular section were observed to be as follows. Obtain an equation for
the stage-discharge relationship and determine the discharge for a
stage of 5.5 m and 17.5 m. [N.B.: Q = given + 0.25*3-digit of Roll]

h, m 1.8 2.0 2.3 2.9 3.7 4.5 5.4 6.1 7.3 7.7 8.1

Q, m3/s 5.0 5.5 7.55 12.5 16.5 25.5 35.5 49.5 75.0 85.0 95.0

Dr. M Alauddin CED, DUET