Stream Gauge - Equipment Commonly Used For Stream Gauging

Equipment Commonly Used For Stream Gauging

Many permanent water control structures used to improve the reliability of using water level as a surrogate for flow (improving the reliability of the rating table) are:

• V-notch,
• broad-crested,
• sharp-crested and
• combination weirs
• Flumes

Other equipment commonly used at permanent stream gauge include:

• Cableways - for suspending a hydrographer and current meter over a river to make high flow measurement
• Water pressure measuring device (Bubbler) - to measure water level via pressure (typically done directly in-stream without a stilling well)
• Stilling well - to provide a calm water level that can be measured by a sensor
• Stage encoder - a potentiometer with a wheel and pulley system connected to a float in a stilling well to provide an electronic reading of the water level
• Simple ultrasonic devices - to measure water level in a stilling well or directly in a canal.
• Electromagnetic gauges

Discharge measurements of a stream or canal without an established stream gage can be made using a current meter or Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. One informal methods that is not acceptable for any official or scientific purpose, but can be useful is the float method, in which a floating object such as a piece of wood or orange peel is observed floating down the stream.