STREAM GAUGING
LECTURE 8
STREAM GAUGING
Stream flow data is primarily gathered by hydrologists for hydrologic studies
To an engineering hydrologist stream flow data is dependent variable in
most studies
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
IMPORTANCE OF STREAM GAUGING
Streams provide
water supply for human settlements and animals
Irrigation water for plants
Energy for power production
Floods cause extensive hardship and damage
For design of bridges, culverts, spillways, reservoirs, food plain delineation and
flood warning systems
SELECTION OF STATION SITE
The control is a section or a reach of a stream which controls the
relationship between the stage and discharge
The stage gauge is therefore installed within the area of influence of control
Control should be permanent
Artificial controls are built in a stream channel to stabilize relation between
stage and discharge, they may be low dams, broad crested weirs or partial
flumes
SELECTION OF STATION SITE
The stream course is straight for about 300 feet upstream and downstream
of the gage site.
The streambed in the vicinity of the site is not subject to scour and fill. It is
also free of aquatic plants.
The banks of the stream channel are permanent. They are free of brush
and high enough to contain floods.
Opportunity to install an artificial control
Possibility of no backwater effect from d/s tributaries
Good metering section
Minimum debris and floating matter
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.
Power and telephone line facility
STREAM GAUGING
Data gathered at a stream gauging station comprises of
Stage
Discharge
Sediment (to develop sedigarphs)
Uses of this data are
Use and control of water in a stream (drinking, municipal purposes, irrigation,
industries, power generation)
Control over hazardous situations e.g., Floods
STAGE
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
STAGE
Datum of the gauge might be a recognized datum such as North
American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88) or an arbitrary datum.
Sometimes datum is taken as Mean Sea Level (MSL)
Select the arbitrary datum plane for a stream gauging site to avoid
negative values of gage height. This requires the arbitrary datum plane
to be below the lowest expected gage height, which will be at, or
below, the elevation of zero flow on the control for all conditions.
For each gauging station, maintain a permanent datum that has at least
three permanent reference marks that are independent of the gage
structure
The gauge datum may need to be changed if there is excessive
channel scour or a manmade channel change
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
NON-RECORDING/MANUAL GAUGES
A few non-recording gauges are as follows:
Staff Gauge
Wire-weight Gauge
Float type gauge
Electronic Tape Gauge
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Staff Gauge:
Simplest method to measure
stage
This is a scale set so as a portion
of it is always immersed in the
water
The staff gage is either vertical
or inclined. The standard USGS
vertical-staff gage consists of
porcelain-enameled iron
sections 4 in. wide and 3.4 ft
long and graduated every 0.02
ft
Gauge may consist of a vertical
scale attached to a bridge pier
or piling
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Gauge scale may be printed on
the existing structure or on
special gauge boards
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Gauge scale may
be printed on the
existing structure or
on special gauge
boards
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
An inclined staff gage is
used for an outside gage
and usually consists of a
graduated heavy timber
securely attached to a
permanent foundation
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
If no suitable Structure is present on site then sectional gauging may be used
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
When there is possibility of silt or mud, staff with raised graduations is
preferred
During normal flow season, the gauge is read from 06:00 to 16:00 daily
In flood continuous record is obtained
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Wire Weight Gauge:
Canfield wire weight gauge
Type- A wire weight Gauge
The type A wire-weight gage is usually
attached to a bridge handrail and is
generally used as an outside auxiliary gage.
At some sites it is used as a reference gage.
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Wire Weight Gauge:
A type A wire-weight gage consists
of a drum wound with a single layer
of stainless steel 0.045 inch cable, a
bronze weight attached to the end
of the cable, a graduated disc, and
a counter, all within a cast-
aluminum box
Disc is graduated in tenths &
hundreds of a foot
Circumference of the reel is
adjusted so that one revolution
covers 1ft of wire length
No. of revolutions are counted using
the counter
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Wire Weight Gauge:
Disk is permanently connected to the counter
Weight is lowered from a bridge or other
overhead structure until it reaches water surface
Reading is taken when the bronze weight touches
the surface of water
Gauge is usually fixed on some girder or bridge
By subtracting the length of the line paid out from
the elevation of a fixed reference point on the
structure water surface elevation can be
determined
H = g-h
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Wire Weight Gauge:
A cantilevered wire-
weight gage is sometimes
used where outside staff
gages are hard to
maintain and where a
bridge, dock, or other
structure over the water is
not available for the
location of a wire-weight
gage.
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Float Type Gauge:
Installed in stilling well to avoid waves effects Dial
Pulley
The gauge consists of a graduated steel tape, counter Stream/Channel
weight and pulley
Counter
As the water level rises, float rises and needle moves on
weight
the counter
Float
Intake
Pipe
Stilling Well
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Float Type Gauge:
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
VV
Electronic Tape Gauge: Tape
It consists of a steel tape graduated in feet , a cylindrical Ground
weight, a reel for the tape, a battery, a voltmeter
Weight
One terminal of the battery is attached to the ground Circuit Diagram
connection and the other terminal to voltmeter
Other terminal of the voltmeter is connected through the
frame reel to tape and weight
Volt Reel
The weight is lowered until it contacts the water surface,
Meter
this contact completes the electric circuit and produces
a signal on voltmeter Tape
The tape reading is then taken
Counter
weight
Weight
Schematic Sketch
MANUAL/NON-RECORDING STAGE
GAUGES
Electronic Tape Gauge:
RECORDING GAUGES
Float type Gauge:
Manual gauges are simple and inexpensive but must be read frequently to define
rating curve accurately when stage is changing
This gauge produces a continuous graphic record
A float generally housed in a stilling well with a shelter over it
Float rises with rise of water surface in the well which is actually the stage in the
stream or channel
With this float is attached a pointer which moves on a barrel
Barrel revolves with clock driven mechanism and has a chart pasted on it
RECORDING GAUGES
RECORDING GAUGES
Stream and reservoir gages require some type
of instrument shelter, and in the case of gages
that use float sensors, they also require a stilling
well
The stilling well protects the float and dampens
the fluctuations in the stream caused by wind
and turbulence,
Stilling wells also protect the gauges from
floating debris
Stilling wells are made of concrete, reinforced
concrete, concrete block, concrete pipe,
corrugated-galvanized-steel pipe, aluminum
pipe, PVC pipe and occasionally wood
RECORDING GAUGES
The stilling well should be deep enough for its
bottom to be at least a foot below the
minimum stage anticipated
Its height should be enough to accommodate
a flood of frequency 1 in 50 years
The open bottom type stilling well has the
advantage of being less likely to fill with
sediments
RECORDING GAUGES
Reinforced concrete stilling well
RECORDING GAUGES
Generally two or more intake
pipes are places from stilling well
into the stream
Intake should be 0.5’ lower than
the lowest expected stage and
5’ above the bottom of stilling
well to prevent silt buildup
It is customary to install gauges
inside and outside the well to
check the performance of
recorder
CREST STAGE GAUGES
Crest stage gauge is simple, economical ,reliable and easily installed
device for obtaining the elevation of the flood crest of streams
This gage is low cost solution for supplementary record keeping or in
situations where recorders are not justified economically or where manual
gauges are inadequate
Many different types of crest-stage gages have been tested, the most
functional one is a vertical piece of 2 inches galvanized pipe containing a
wood or aluminum staff held in a fixed position with relation to a datum
reference.
CREST STAGE GAUGES
Small amount of ground cork is placed in
perforated cup
As the water level rises in the pipe cork floats
with the water and adheres to the staff at
the highest level
The staff can be removed and the crest
reading is recorded
Cork is then wiped off and staff is ready to
be replaced in the pipe
CREST STAGE GAUGES
Pipe Cap
Brackets
Graduated Staff that
fits inside the pipe
Culvert
Wall
Holes to
admit water
Pipe Cap
Crest-stage Gauge Assembly
