Uncertainty estimation for salt dilution gauging for streamflow measurements

关于流经河流的水量的准确信息对于水电生产、饮用水供应、洪水管理以及确保鲑鱼和其他鱼类的良好栖息地的规划至关重要。在陡峭的山间溪流中，许多用于确定溪流流量的技术都不容易执行。一种能很好地估计水流的技术是盐稀释测量。在这种技术中，已知的少量普通厨房盐被添加到河里。在下游几百米处，通过测量水的导电难易程度来测量水的咸度。水越咸，流过小溪的水就越多，稀释了盐。经过一些计算，可以相当准确地确定流过小溪的水量。这些估计到底有多准确，是目前争论的一个来源。由于重要的决策取决于它，我们想知道这种方法在各种情况下（例如在干旱的夏季洪水或低流量）的准确性，以及准确性如何取决于添加的盐的数量。在这项研究中，我们将开发更好的方法，为测量的准确性设定一个数字，以便在许多小流量中收集的数据可以自信地添加到有关我们流量的信息数据库中。这使许多部门受益，并使我们能够密切关注我们最宝贵的自然资源之一。

Accurate information about how much water flows through our rivers is essential for planning of hydropowerproduction, drinking water supply, flood management, and ensuring a sound habitat for Salmonids and otherfish. In steep mountain streams, many of the techniques that are used to determine the streamflow are not easyto perform. One of the techniques that does give a good estimate of the streamflow is salt dilution gauging. Inthis technique, a known small quantity of ordinary kitchen salt is added to the river. A few hundred metersdownstream, it is then measured how salty the water is, by measuring how easily it conducts electricity. Theless salty the water is, the more water was flowing through the stream diluting the salt. With some calculationsthe quantity of water flowing through the stream can be determined quite accurately.How accurately the estimates are is currently a source of debate. Since important decisions depend on it, wewant to know how accurate this method is in various circumstances (for example flood flows or low flowsduring a dry summer), and how the accuracy depends on the quantity of salt added.In this research we will develop better methods to put a number on the accuracy of the measurements, so thatdata collected in many small streams can be confidently added to the database of information about ourstreams. This benefits many sectors and allows us to keep a sharp eye on one of our most precious naturalresources.