2010 Montana

Association of Dam and

Canal Systems
Workshop

Billings, Montana
Water Measurement
A Basic Introduction to
Surface Water Measurement Devices

Larry A. Schock
DNRC MRO
Civil Engineering Specialist

October 2010
 Water Measurement

• Headgates

• Types of flow

• Flow measurement basics

• Rated devices

• Flumes and Weirs

• Manual measurements
Water Measurement
Headgates
 Water Measurement

• Selecting the right measuring device for the situation

• Proper installation

• Maintenance
 Water Measurement
Rated and standard devices:
• staff gages
• flumes
• Weirs

Manual measurement:
• float-area method
• current meters
 Water Measurement
Types of Flow

Open Channel Flow Closed Conduit Flow

 Water Measurement
Open Channel Flow

• Occurs whenever the flowing stream has a free or

unconstrained surface that is open to the atmosphere

• The force that causes flow is the force of gravity on the fluid

• Canals and streams

 Water Measurement
Closed Conduit Flow

• Occurs when the conveyance conduit carries water under

pressure

• No free surface open to the atmosphere

• Pipelines
 Water Measurement

• Most devices measure flow indirectly

• Classified into those that measure velocity and those that

measure pressure or head

• All measurement devices only provide an estimate of the flow

• Some are more accurate than other

 Water Measurement

• Flow Rate or discharge is the volume of water passing a flow

section per unit time

• The most common flow rate units are either cubic feet per
second (cfs), or gallons per minute (gpm), and occasionally
Miners Inch (MI).
 Water Measurement
Flow rate (discharge) units

1 cubic foot per second (cfs) is equivalent to:

448.8 gallons per minute (gpm)
40 miner’s inches (MI)

1 Montana miners inch (MI) is equivalent to:

11.2 gallons per minute (gpm)
40 MI equals 1 cubic foot per second (cfs)
 Water Measurement
Volume Units

Standard unit of volume is acre-feet (ac-ft)

An ac-ft is equivalent to a 1 foot of water on one acre

OR
325, 851 gallons

1 cfs produces a volume of 1.98 ac-ft per day

 Water Measurement
Rated Devices

• Staff Gages

• Flumes

• Weirs
Water Measurement
Staff Gages
 Water Measurement
Flumes and Weirs

Flume

An open-channel flow section that

forces flow to accelerate through a
known channel shape. A minimum
head of 0.2 feet is needed.

Weir

An overflow structure built

perpendicular to an open channel, for
use on slopes > 0.5%.
 Water Measurement
Flume Classes
Long-Throated Short-Throated

Controls discharge rate in a throat Controls discharge in a region

that is long enough to cause nearly that produces curvilinear flow.
parallel flow lines. Ex. Ramp Flume Ex. Parshall Flume
 Water Measurement
Parshall Flumes

Advantages
• low head loss requirement
• allows debris passage
• wide range of sizes and flows

Disadvantages
• expensive to buy
• difficult to build
• installation accuracy critical
 Water Measurement
Montana Flume (short parshall)

Advantages
• low head loss
• conveys sediment and debris
• measures a wide range of flows
• easy to build

Disadvantages
• will not measure when submerged
 Water Measurement
Short -Throated Flumes
Installation Requirements:

• A straight clean section of ditch, clear of obstructions

• Must be level lengthwise and cross wise

• Flume floor must be set above the elevation of the ditch bottom

• Staff gage set at floor of converging section (crest)

Problem??
 Water Measurement
Long-Throated Flumes
Long-Throated flume (Ramp or Replogle) under construction
 Water Measurement
Long-Throated Flumes

• Long-throated flumes control discharge rate in a throat that is

long enough to cause nearly parallel flow lines in the region of
flow control

• Long-throated flumes are more accurate, less expensive, have

better technical performance, and can be computer designed
and calibrated.
Water Measurement
Long-Throated Flumes
 Water Measurement
Long-Throated Flumes

Advantages
• Provided that critical flow occurs in the throat, a rating table can be
calculated with an error less than 2%

• Long-throated flumes can have nearly any desired cross-sectional shape

and can be custom fitted into most canal-site geometries

• Because of their gradual converging transition, these flumes have few

problems with floating debris and sediment
 Water Measurement
Weirs

A weir is an overflow structure built perpendicular to an

open channel axis to measure the rate of flow of water.
 Water Measurement
Weir Classifications

Sharp-crested
A sharp-crested weir has a notch plate that is mounted on bulkhead
such that water does not contact or cling to the downstream weir
plate or bulkhead, but springs clear.

Broad-crested
A broad-crested weir is a raised overflow crest, commonly a flat
block.
notch plate or notch approach velocity
metal strip

crest bulkhead

nappe
 Water Measurement
Sharp-Crested Weir

Standard Types

• Contracted Rectangular

• Suppressed Rectangular

• Cipolletti Contracted

• Contracted Triangular or V-Notch

Water Measurement
Sharp-Crested Weir
Contracted Rectangular
 Water Measurement
Sharp-Crested Weir
Cipolletti Contracted
Trapezoidal in shape with sides that incline outwardly at a slope of 4:1
Water Measurement
Sharp-Crested Weir

Contracted Triangular or V-Notch

 Water Measurement
Sharp-Crested Weir

Installation Requirements for all Sharp-Crested Weirs

• Weir should be installed in straight section of ditch/canal.

•Approach velocity should be <= 0.5 feet/second (appear still).

• The weir should be perpendicular to the channel.

• All weir blades should have the same thickness for the entire
boundary of the overflow crest.

• The upstream edges of the weir plates must be straight and sharp.

• The entire crest should be plumb and level.

 Water Measurement
Broad-Crested Weir

• A broad-crested weir is a raised overflow crest, commonly a

flat block.

• No clear-cut classification distinction or hydraulic difference

exists between broad-crested weirs and long-throated flumes.
 Water Measurement
Weirs vs. Flumes

• Weirs do not work well on flat slopes, flumes do.

• Weirs have approach velocity requirement, flumes do not.
• Flumes can often be expensive and difficult to build, weirs can be easily built.
• Weirs can collect sediment and debris, flumes usually do not.
 Water Measurement
Manual Measurements

• Float-area method

• Current meters
 Water Measurement
Float-Area Method

Advantages
• better than a guess

Disadvantages
• difficulty in determining average cross section
• susceptible to wind currents, surface disturbances, and cross
currents
• least accurate of all other methods, not applicable for enforcement
Water Measurement
Current Meters
 Water Measurement
Current Meters
Types of current meters

Anemometer and propeller velocity meters

• use anemometer cup wheels to sense velocity
– Price AA
– Pygmy

Electromagnetic meters
• Electromagnetic current meters produce voltage proportional to the
velocity
– Marsh-McBirney
 Water Measurement
Current Meters
Types of Current Meter Measurements

Wading Cable supported Bridge

 Water Measurement
Requirements

• Selecting the right measuring device for the situation

• Proper installation

• Maintenance
Questions?

Larry A. Schock
(406) 542-5885
lschock@mt.gov