Informative/Abstract:
Estimating streamflow is time and labour intensive due to the necessity
of developing a rating curve. The development of a rating curve involves
acquiring at least thirty in-field measurements of streamflow across a
wide range of flow levels, which can be costly and impractical in remote
regions with limited seasonal access. Here we showcase an automated
system which accurately estimates streamflow multiple times each day,
greatly facilitating the development of rating curves for remote or
seasonally inaccessible sites. The system uses an emerging technique
referred to as particle image velocimetry (PIV) to track the movement of
objects and flow structure features on the mobile water surface to
generate velocity vector grids. Velocity grids were used to calculate
streamflow and facilitate the development of a rating curve. This
represents the first use of an automated PIV system to estimate
streamflow in small streams (< 5 m wide) and the first system
to automatically distribute particles for facilitated PIV analysis.
Keywords: Particle Image Velocimetry, Streamflow Monitoring,
Automated Systems, Particle Tracer
Funding: This research was funded through the Ministry of
Natural Resources and Forestry, the Canada-Ontario Agreement Fund, and
the Queen Elizabeth II Graduate Scholarship in Science and Technology.