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Discharge measurement by the velocity-area method and calculating rating

curves

Method · July 2021

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.2.29395.71208

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Discharge measurement by the velocity-area method
and calculating rating curves

Daniel Caissie

Fisheries and Oceans Canada

Freshwater Habitat Section
Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
July 2021
Abstract:
Stream gauging is a technique used to measure discharge in rivers. This report describes the
velocity-area method which is often used for such calculations. This report also provides the
method to establish a rating curve at a stream gauging site (i.e., establish a stage - discharge
relationship) to calculated discharge time series over a specific period of time.

Discharge Measurement :

Stream gauging is a technique that is used to measure discharge (volume of water per unit
time) in rivers. The height of the water surface, also referred to as the stage height or water
surface elevation, is also used for calculating discharge time series. The most often used
method for measuring discharge in river is the velocity-area method (Buchanan and Somers
1978). This method is illustrated in Figure 1 where distance, depth and velocity are measured
at various points along a cross section.

Reference point
bn
x
bi
b1 x
d1; v1
Unit discharge
di vi

Figure 1. Illustration of the velocity-area method for measuring river discharge

In Figure 1, the reference point is an arbitrary location on the river bank (typically a wooden
stake, tree, etc.) which marks the zero distance. The first station is typically at the edge of the
water on one bank and the last station is at the other edge water. At each station, the distance
b (from the arbitrary reference point), the depth d and mean column velocity v are measured.
In Figure 1, x represents the mid-distance between two sections.
The velocity at each station is measured with a flow meter, and the depth of this velocity
measurement is taken at 0.6 from the surface (0.6D) to represent the mean column velocity
(for rivers with depths less than 1 m; Figure 2). For rivers with depths greater than 1 m, the
average of two velocities are generally taken to represent the mean column velocity, i.e., the
mean of the velocities taken at 0.2D and 0.8D. A wading rod (Figure 3) can be used to measure
velocities at 0.6D, 0.2D or 0.8D, in order to simplify the setting of the depths for the mean
column water velocity.

When using the velocity-area method the following equations are used for each station (Figure
1).
The unit discharge (Q1) for the first station is given by:

(𝑏2 −𝑏1 )
𝑄1 = 𝑉1 𝑑1 (1)
2

and the unit discharge (Qn) for the last station n is given by:

(𝑏𝑛 −𝑏𝑛−1 )
𝑄𝑛 = 𝑉𝑛 𝑑𝑛 (2)
2

whereas the unit discharge (Qi) for all other stations (i) is given by:

(𝑏𝑖+1 −𝑏𝑖−1 )
𝑄𝑖 = 𝑉𝑖 𝑑𝑖 (3)
2

The river discharge (total discharge) is then calculated by the summation of all unit discharge.
When applying the velocity-area method, at least 20 points (20 stations) across the river should
be taken to accurately measure all unit flows. Notably, the discharge does not necessarily have
to be taken exactly at the same location as the water level measurements to establish the stage
discharge relationship; however should be taken near the gauging site. For instance, the
discharge can be measured at the most appropriate location depending on the flow (high vs.
low as a function of season), within the reach where the water levels are monitored (for the
stage discharge relationship). This is because the discharge is the same within a relatively short
reach (if no significant tributaries or groundwater are added within the reach). Also, when the
river is small during low flow periods, discharge should be taken at a cross section where
depths and velocities can be effectively taken (generally needing more than 6 cm of water to
take a measurement, with the wading rod).
Table 1 is showing an example of data and calculations for the discharge measurement at the
Catamaran Brook Habitat Research Project on July 30, 2018. Note that all data were entered in
an Excel spreadsheet and calculations were also carried out in the spreadsheet to simply the
process and prevent errors (after data verification). Also note that data for distance are in
meters in m, depth in cm, velocity in m/s and unit discharge are in m3/s. The data were entered
into the spreadsheet in the same units as they were collected in the field, and all necessary
transformation were carried out in the spreadsheet (again for simplicity and to eliminate
errors).

Also shown in Table 1 is the water surface elevation and D (rebar). The water surface elevation
could be measured using an engineering level (or obtained from a pressure transducer) and
related to a nearby benchmark (with an assumed elevation). The distance (D) on the rebar is
measured from the top of a rebar (if one is installed at the site). This makes the water surface
elevation reading easier during every site visit (without necessarily using a level and a
benchmark every time, see below for more details).

0.2 D

0.6 D

Flow mean velocity

0.6 D

0.8 D

Figure 2. Velocity profile in river and where the mean velocity is generally taken at 0.6D from
the surface, and at both 0.2D and 0.8D for river with depth greater the 1 m.
 0

Figure 3. Wading rod used for velocity measurements at 0.6D, 0.2D or 0.8D from the surface
Table 1. Example of calculation of discharge by the velocity-area method for the Catamaran
Brook Habitat Research Project (July 30, 2018).
Discharge calculation

Project: Catamaran Brook Habitat Research Project

Gauge: Mouth of Catamaran Brook
Date: 30-Jul-18
Crew: Daniel, Jim
Equipement: Marsh-McBirney, Model 2000
Met condition: Sunny
D (rebar): 62.5 cm
WS Elevation: 0.426 m

Sta Dist (m) Depth (cm) V (m/s) Qi (m 3/s)

1 1.10 0 0.00 0.0000
2 1.40 22 0.14 0.0108
3 1.80 34 0.18 0.0245
4 2.20 31 0.47 0.0583
5 2.60 29 0.48 0.0557
6 3.00 31 0.54 0.0670
7 3.40 28 0.45 0.0504
8 3.80 25 0.45 0.0450
9 4.20 23 0.36 0.0331
10 4.60 23 0.41 0.0377
11 5.00 18 0.43 0.0310
12 5.40 12 0.31 0.0149
13 5.80 16 0.44 0.0282
14 6.20 16 0.41 0.0262
15 6.60 19 0.41 0.0312
16 7.00 22 0.24 0.0211
17 7.40 19 0.34 0.0258
18 7.80 18 0.33 0.0238
19 8.20 18 0.32 0.0230
20 8.60 14 0.21 0.0118
21 9.00 12 0.20 0.0096
22 9.40 6 0.14 0.0034
23 9.80 0 0.00 0.0000
Total: 0.6323
Rating curve: stage discharge relationship
Water level measurements should be carried out at a good control section. A control section is
a specific cross section in a stream channel that controls the relation between gauge height and
discharge at the gauge. A control section can be a natural feature of the channel such as a
constriction of the channel or a riffle (where the water level gauge would be located a distance
upstream of this control section). A man-made section control could be a concrete apron, weir,
a flume, a small dam, or a culvert. Control sections can be visually identified in the field by
observing a riffle, or pronounced drop in the water surface, as the flow passes over the control.
The water level gauge would be installed upstream from this control section (e.g., upstream
from a riffle), where you typically have a good stage discharge relationship.

Water levels are monitored at this control section with water level sensors that can be in a
stilling well or directly on the stream bottom (Figure 4). As mentioned above, benchmark is
generally established nearby to relate the water surface elevations within a summer season or
among different years. The benchmark is often a nail on a tree or another fixed location (top of
a structure or rock) that does not change elevation from year to year. An engineering level is
used to relate the elevation of the benchmark to that of the water surface (or the rebar, see
above).

Bench mark elevation = 5.37 m

stilling well

depth (d2)
water surface elevation = 5.02 m

depth (d1) BM

You need to calculate the elevation of each water

level sensors in relation to the water surface
water level sensors elevation.

EL1 = 5.02 – d1
EL2 = 5.02 – d2

Figure 4. Section control where water levels are monitored for establishing a stage-discharge
relationship.
A temporary benchmark, such as a rebar driven into the streambed can sometime be used to
monitor the water surface elevation during site visits without the necessity of an engineering
level to monitor the surface water elevation (Figure 5). If measurements are taken from the
top of the rebar, then the elevation of the top of the rebar needs to be verify periodically (e.g.,
yearly). In the above example the benchmark elevation is 5.37 m and the water surface
elevation is 5.02 m (difference of 0.35m). If a rebar was set in the stream and the distance from
the top of the rebar to the top of the water surface was 12 cm (measured with a meter stick),
then the top of the rebar elevation would be 5.14 m (Figure 5).

elevation = 5.14 m
rebar
water surface elevation (WSE) = 5.02 m
D = 12 cm

If D = 12 cm and WSE = 5.02 m, then the

elevation of top of the rebar would be 5.14 m

Figure 5. Installation of a rebar in the stream, as a reference level which can be tied to a
benchmark at the site.

In Figure 4, the depth d1 and d2 measured with a pressure transducer represent the submerge
depth of water both within the stilling well and in the river. To establish the water surface
elevation a correction between the submerge depth is carried out. For example, if d1 = 0.23 m,
then elevation of the sensor (EL1; Figure 4) is at 5.02m-0.23m = 4.79 m. All readings from
sensor at d1 should be corrected with this sensor elevation so that the water surface elevation
is 5.02m for a submerge depth of 0.23m, etc.

Once the river discharges are measured for various flows and corresponding water surface
elevations (during each site visits) are related to the permanent benchmark, then a rating curve
is calculated. The rating curve generally, take the form of equation (4), but can take other
forms (linear, polynomial functions, etc., provided that a better fit can be obtained than
equation 4):
 𝑄 = 𝑎(𝑊𝑆𝐸 − 𝑐)𝑏 (4)

where Q is discharge (m3/s); WSE is gauge height or the water surface elevation (m); a and b
are the exponent of the power function and c is the gauge height of zero flow for the cross
section where the stage-height is being measured. It is important to include c in equation (4),
in order to have a good fit of the power function. The constant c can also be a fitted parameter
to improve the stage discharge relation (i.e., not always need to represent the elevation of zero
flow).
Figure 6 shows an example of 9 discharge measurements in Catamaran Brook (NB) and
associated water surface elevations in relation to a bench mark. Equation (4) was calculated
using Solver in Excel, where a = 18.34, b = 2.47 and c = 0.165 were calculated. In this example, c
does not represents the elevation of zero, as it was part of the fitted relation. Caution need to
be considered when extrapolating flows, beyond the points of measured flows, both at high
and low flows, because the uncertainty can become high. The explained variability in discharge
using the water surface elevation is over 99% (R2 = 0.999; Figure 6). To obtain a discharge
hydrograph for Catamaran Brook in 2018, daily water levels would be used to calculated
discharge using this stage discharge relation.

4.0
Catamaran Brook Mouth 2018
Date WSE(m) Q(m3/s)
3.5 7-May 0.671 3.43
14-May 0.566 1.85
3.0 21-May 0.466 0.955
Discharge (m3/s)

3-Jun 0.471 1.03

2.5 10-Jun 0.431 0.687
16-Jun 0.586 2.20
7-Jul 0.481 1.10
2.0 14-Jul 0.531 1.55
30-Jul 0.426 0.632
1.5
Q = 18.34 (WSE – 0.165)2.47
1.0
R2 = 0.999
0.5

0.0
0.40 0.45 0.50 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70

Water surface elevation, WSE (m)

Figure 6. Stage discharge relationship for Catamaran Brook in 2018.

 Reference:

Buchanan, T.J., Somers, W.P. 1978. Techniques of water-resources investigations of the United
States Geological Survey, Chapter A8, Discharge measurements at gaging stations. 65p.

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