Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water?

"W. Watson" <wolf_tracks RemoveThis @invalid.inv>
 > Is there a device or simple way to measure the speed of flowing water?

Wayne,

I worked with the Desert Reserch Institute on a flow study on the
Truckee river last year. We had a device (not likes simple or cheap)
that we could use to measure the velocity of the water at different
depths. I have seen the USGS people use a similar device when they
are calibrating the flow gauges.

You might give DRI a call.

Randy<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

for paddlers? there are number of simple techniques involving floating
objects and a watch with a second hand or digital counter. you might want
to consider the technique using a float attached to a line of known
length. the lenght is set make determination of the speed in some unit of
measure easy.

--
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 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

Julia De Silva wrote:

 > Don't suppose you've ever heard of "Pooh Sticks" ? Same idea !!
 >
 >
 >
Nope, haven't heard of them. I would guess it's something like another respondent
reamarked just after your post. A string of fixed length and a stop watch. Sounds
good to me. Interesting name, Pooh.

--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

"The meek are ready." -- Anon

Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

William R. Watt wrote:

 > for paddlers? there are number of simple techniques involving floating
 > objects and a watch with a second hand or digital counter. you might want
 > to consider the technique using a float attached to a line of known
 > length. the lenght is set make determination of the speed in some unit of
 > measure easy.
 >
 > --
 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 > William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
 > homepage: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm" target="_blank">www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm</a>
 > warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned
The float on a known length line sounds good to me.

--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

"The meek are ready." -- Anon

Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

William R. Watt wrote:

 > for paddlers? there are number of simple techniques involving floating
 > objects and a watch with a second hand or digital counter. you might want
 > to consider the technique using a float attached to a line of known
 > length. the lenght is set make determination of the speed in some unit of
 > measure easy.
 >
 > --
 > ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 > William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
 > homepage: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm" target="_blank">www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm</a>
 > warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned
Forgot to mention. While the line and float seems good enough, I recently bought a
Dwyer wind meter. The idea there is simple too. It looks like a outdoor thermomenter,
7" tall and about 1.5" wide. Instead of mercury, it has a tube running from top to
bottom line a thermometer. Air enters at the top and a light wait ball at the bottom
floats up as the wind blows into the tube. There may be a small hole at the bottom of
the tube. You just read the wind speed from the gauge. Perhaps there's something like
this that operates in flowing water?

--
Wayne T. Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)
(121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
Obz Site: 39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W
(Formerly Homo habilis, erectus, heidelbergensis and now sapiens)

"The meek are ready." -- Anon

Web Page: <home.earthlink.net/~mtnviews><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 14:22:02 GMT, "W. Watson"
<wolf_tracks RemoveThis @invalid.inv> wrote:

 >Julia De Silva wrote:
 >
  >> Don't suppose you've ever heard of "Pooh Sticks" ? Same idea !!
  >>
  >>
  >>
 >Nope, haven't heard of them. I would guess it's something like another respondent
 >reamarked just after your post. A string of fixed length and a stop watch. Sounds
 >good to me. Interesting name, Pooh.

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.theenchanted100acrewoods.50megs.com/poohsticks.htm" target="_blank">http://www.theenchanted100acrewoods.50megs.com/poohsticks.htm</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

"Randy Hodges" <randallh DeleteThis @sonic.net> wrote in message
news:3b41c027.0409240646.14c2eb28@posting.google.com...
 > "W. Watson" <wolf_tracks DeleteThis @invalid.inv>
  >> Is there a device or simple way to measure the speed of flowing water?
 >
 > Wayne,
 >
 > I worked with the Desert Reserch Institute on a flow study on the
 > Truckee river last year. We had a device (not likes simple or cheap)
 > that we could use to measure the velocity of the water at different
 > depths. I have seen the USGS people use a similar device when they
 > are calibrating the flow gauges.
 >
 > You might give DRI a call.
 >
 > Randy

You're talking about the little prop job? Not practical for boaters, I
think.

The way I use (other than just looking and guessing), is to toss something
like an orange overboard and have someone standing a known distance
downstream (50 meters, paced out.) Then time how long it takes to get there.

If its deep water and I'm drifting, I look for two landmarks on shore that I
can fairly well guestimate the distance between, and count how long it takes
to float between them. If I have a map (which is when I use this method the
most), I do it over a half-mile or so to get a good estimate. Gotta keep in
the center of the current during that time, but all the adjustments work out
to give a good estimate.

--riverman<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

I've read of a sophisticated version of the fixed length line where it's
on a spin casting reel. The release button on the reel is pushed at the
same time as the button on the stop watch. When the line has run out the
button on the stop watch is pushed again and the line is reeled back in.

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
homepage: www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm
warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

On Fri, 24 Sep 2004 14:26:09 GMT, "W. Watson"
<wolf_tracks RemoveThis @invalid.inv> wrote:

 >William R. Watt wrote:
 >
  >> for paddlers? there are number of simple techniques involving floating
  >> objects and a watch with a second hand or digital counter. you might want
  >> to consider the technique using a float attached to a line of known
  >> length.
  >> --
  >> ------------------------------------------------------------------------------
  >> William R Watt National Capital FreeNet Ottawa's free community network
  >> homepage: <a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm" target="_blank">www.ncf.ca/~ag384/top.htm</a>
  >> warning: non-FreeNet email must have "notspam" in subject or it's returned
 >Forgot to mention. While the line and float seems good enough, I recently bought a
 >Dwyer wind meter. The idea there is simple too. It looks like a outdoor thermomenter,
 >7" tall and about 1.5" wide. Instead of mercury, it has a tube running from top to
 >bottom line a thermometer. Air enters at the top and a light wait ball at the bottom
 >floats up as the wind blows into the tube.

Hi

What you are measuring is the velocity pressure of the fluid, in your
case air, but it works with any fluid including water it's call a
pedio tube.

BTW the velicty pressure vaires the the square on the velocity

John


-------------------------------------
O C Outdoor
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.occuk.co.uk/outdoor" target="_blank">www.occuk.co.uk/outdoor</a>
--------------------------------------<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

On 25-Sep-2004, John-news-group <DO-NOT-USE-THIS-ADDRESS RemoveThis @123ZZE.CO.UK> wrote:

 > it's call a pedio tube.

Pitot tube. Pronounced pee-toe.

Mike<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

Pitot tube will not measure the velocity (speed to you non scientists)
but will be a measure of the head

In message <24KdnaGKj-IbdsjcRVn-sg.RemoveThis@magma.ca>, Michael Daly
<michaelDaly.RemoveThis@foo.bar> writes
 >On 25-Sep-2004, John-news-group <DO-NOT-USE-THIS-ADDRESS.RemoveThis@123ZZE.CO.UK> wrote:
 >
  >> it's call a pedio tube.
 >
 >Pitot tube. Pronounced pee-toe.
 >
 >Mike

--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk" target="_blank">http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk</a><!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

 ><wolf_tracks.TakeThisOut@invalid.inv>
   >>> Is there a device or simple way to measure the speed of flowing water?

I didn't catch the beginning of the thread but did anyone mention a handheld
GPS? I have a simple, non-mapping Gecko 201 GPS. When I am interested in
seeing how fast the river is flowing I try to get the boat moving at the same
speed as flotsom on the surface of the water. When you page down through the
windows on the GPS you will find one with velocity in MPH or KPH. It is
interesting to see how your velocity changes as you move about the currents and
eddys on a river.

Now I realize that a canoe floating on the surface of a river doesn't always
move at the same rate as subsurface currents, but as a simple, rough measure it
is pretty quick and easy and can be done on the move at any time.

Mike<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water? 

"W. Watson" <wolf_tracks.RemoveThis@invalid.inv> wrote in message news:<82K4d.1491$zG1.928@newsread3.news.pas.earthlink.net>...
 > Is there a device or simple way to measure the speed of flowing water?
 > --

What do you want to measure, speed or velocity, and from what, the
shore or your boat? There are a variety of current meters on the
market, from the standard Price AA and pgymy meters to ADCP's, with a
range of meters and electronic sensors, and the always timing
sticks/debris in the water (over a known distance). But as noted, the
velocity varys in the entire cross-section, which is why you take
numerous vertical and horizontal samples, usually averaged over a
period of time (30-60 seconds). A place to start is the USGS's
streamgaging manual at:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/wsp/wsp2175/" target="_blank">http://water.usgs.gov/pubs/wsp/wsp2175/</a>

Other descriptions are at:

<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/600R01043/600R01043chap2.pdf" target="_blank">http://www.epa.gov/ORD/NRMRL/Pubs/600R01043/600R01043chap2.pdf</a> (PDF)
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0848E/t0848e-09.htm" target="_blank">http://www.fao.org/docrep/T0848E/t0848e-09.htm</a>
<a style='text-decoration: underline;' href="http://gallatin.humboldt.edu/~brad/nws/lesson5.html" target="_blank">http://gallatin.humboldt.edu/~brad/nws/lesson5.html</a> - Excellent
description

Without more information of your needs, it's hard to say what will
work.

--Scott--

Scott M. Knowles "Opinions expressed are entirely my own."
scott.RemoveThis@wsrphoto.com
Hydrologist, MS-Geography

"All things merge into one, and a river runs through it."
- Norman MacLean<!-- ~MESSAGE_AFTER~ -->
 >> Stay informed about: Devices to Measure the Speed of Flowing Water?