SURFACE WATER

HYDROLOGY
Lecture 7
By Engr Muhammad Waseem
Surface Water Hydrology
• Surface Water Hydrology deals with the movement of
water along the earth surface as a result of precipitation
and snow melt.

• A knowledge of quantity and quality of stream flow is a

requisite for municipal, industrial, agricultural and other
water supply projects; flood control; reservoir design and
operation; hydroelectric power generation etc.
Measurement of Stream Flow (Units)
• Two types of units are used in measuring water flow in
streams.

• They are units of discharge and units of volume.

• Commonly used units of discharge measurements are

ft3/sec and m3/sec

• Units of volume used are ft3, m3, liter etc

Measurement of Stream Flow
Two methods

1- Direct Methods

2- Indirect Methods
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Direct Methods
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Direct Methods Includes the Use of Stream flow

Gauges
• Stream Flow Gauging
• Definition:
The measurement of discharge and stage (depth) in a
stream is referred to as stream flow gauging.

• The instruments and some structures used for the

measurements of flow or discharge are termed as stream
flow gauges.
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Types of Stream Flow Gauges

• There are four main types of stream flow gauges which
are further subdivided.

1. Non recording gauges or manual gauges.

2. Recording gauges or automatic gauges.
3. Weirs, Notches.
4. Flumes.
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Non Recording Gauges

Non recording gauges includes:
Staff gauges.

Staff gauges are further divided as

1. Immersed staff gauge.
2. Short sections staff gauge.
3. Inclined staff gauge.
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Non Recording Gauges

1. Immersed Staff Gauge:

• A staff gauge is set so that a portion is immersed in water

in all the times.

• The gauge may consists of a vertical scale attached to

bridge pier, pilling or other structure that extends into a
low water channel of the stream.
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Non Recording Gauges

Staff gauge
Immersed Staff gauge
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Non Recording Gauges

2. Short Section Staff Gauge:
• If no suitable structure exists in a location accessible at all
depths, a section staff gauge may be used.

• Short sections of staff are mounted on available structures

or on specially constructed supports in such a way that
one section is always accessible.
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Non Recording Gauges

Short Section Staff Gauge

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Non Recording Gauges

3. Inclined Staff Gauge:
The inclined staff gauge is placed inclined along with the
bank of the river and is consists of heavy timber.
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Recording Gauges
• There are four types of recording gauges
1. Float gauge.
2. Bubble gauge recorder.
3. Crest water gauge recorder.
4. Current meters.
1. Price current meter.
2. Propeller current meter.
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Recording Gauges
• Current Meters:
• Current meters are the most commonly used instruments
for measurements of flow velocities of stream water.

• A current meter is an instrument the transforms the fluid

velocity in a river or stream at a point to a rotational
velocity of a propeller placed against the water flow.

• There are two types of current meters.

1. Price current meter
2. Propeller current meter
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Recording Gauges
Price Current Meter:
• It consists of 6 conical cups rotating about a vertical axis
who has electric contacts, driven by the cups along with
the recorder.
• The circuit is closed through a battery and the wire of a
supporting cable to cause a click for each revolution or
each 5th revolution.
• The clicks are recorded through headphones worn by the
operator or some other electronic devices can be used.
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Rotating cups make clicking

sound in headphones

If current strong
may need weight
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Recording Gauges
• Propeller Current Meter:
• The contacting mechanism is similar to that of the price
meter and similar suspension are made along with some
weight.

• The difference is that it uses a propeller turning about a

horizontal axis.
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Propeller Current Meter

PROPELLER
CURRENT
METER
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Current Meter
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Measurement With Current Meter

• In practice the river width is subdivide into N number of
sub-sections.

• The greater the number of subsections, the more

accurate the flow rate measurement will be.

• Also the readings are taken at various depths, most

commonly at 0.2d and 0.8d.
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Weirs
• Weirs:
• These are the structures built into the stream that force
the water to flow through an opening of a known size and
shape.
• A weir includes all components of a stream gauging
station as well as a notch control.

• The weirs can be V-Shaped or trapezoidal.

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Weirs
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Flumes
• Flumes:
• Flumes are artificial open channels built to contain flow
within a designed cross section and length.

• Measurement of the height of water in the flume allows

one to calculate discharge.
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Flumes
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Thank You!

Q&A