System for simultaneous measurement of bed and water surface profiles

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This proposal describes a system for the automated, simultaneous measurement of bed and water surface profiles in open water flows.  The system allows for fast acquisition of these measurements, whose values can change quickly.  This equipment will improve flow measurement capabilities for study of problems in the erosion of soils by river flows and in the assessment of potential designs for fish passage facilities at manmade obstructions in rivers such as dams and weirs. The fish passage studies supported by the grant include study a type of nature-like fishway, called a "rocky ramp fishway".  For these fishways, rocks are placed at different spacing along the bed of the channel that serves to connect the upstream and downstream sides of the obstruction.  This is to mimic the type of flows fish encounter in nature and encourage them to pass to the upstream side of the structure.  The equipment will allow detailed data collection of the depths of flow through the channel, which can vary significantly through the channel length and width.  With this information and velocity measurements, it will be possible to assess whether a fish could successfully migrate through the channel.  The work is significant to the maintenance and improvements of fish populations in fresh water streams.  Provisions for fish passage are required by law to be provided at structures placed in rivers, so that fish can access their original habitat. The scour studies that will be supported include study of the erosion in clay soils by water jets.  The bed profiler will be used to assess the development of the scour hole created by the erosion of the clay with time. The bed profiler requested would not actually touch the clay surface, which can sometimes cause erosion and might cause misinterpretation of data.  The work is significant to allow engineers to better estimate soil erosion resistance in soils so that they can design safer dams and bridges.