Digitizing Water Resources - Determining Stream Flow

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ı am currently working on a project for digitising water resources, but I am stuck on a method of determining stream flow.

I am looking for an applicable methodology to determine Ephemeral, Intermittent and Perennial streams. 

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6 Answers

  1. Yes, as Alexis said USGS has methods of computing the discharges and volumes of the emphemeral , intermittent and Perennial streams. We have been using there softwares for example Western Hydrological Services. The field work measurements are done by use of direct measurements using current meters such pygmy or swoffer. We also use indirect measurements after a flow has passed, we go find high water marks and survey the cross sections. This will give you the peak flows.

  3. While I'm not 100% sure, I suspect USGS has some methods to do this as the Clean Water Act in the US has to tackle this issue so they've probably developed some tools and approaches. Otherwise you could also reach out to Microsoft and AI for Earth as they may have some tools that could map and compute this. Regards and best of luck!

  4. An open source tool such as wflow might do the trick for you. Has been successfully used in the Buyuk-Menderez watershed in Turkey among many others. The calibration between calculated accumulated cells and field data you have to do yourself.

  5. Excuse please; A college professor teaching environmental resource management open the class to ONE bold statement.  "stop examining the firehose and put out the fire".  Basically the water hose already knows its job. Just use it.  Related to your any every ones environmental problem  "Stop over studying the problem (with tax payer money) and learn how nature (that already knows how to solve all possible problems) works and follow her lead.  In other words stop trying to calculate how little you have and start learning how to increase water in your area. The system has worked for the last 3.5 billion years.  You may want to give it a try.  If you are new to this field just ask.  The secretes of nature are not really that secrete. Your grandparents knew it for sure. 

    1 Comment

    1. Sorry, but I can't agree with you, sir. Some modern environmental changes  are too fast for the grandfathers experience. Look in my homeland, for example: where the Aral Sea is? The Sea had been dried over my lifetime. So, we need a science, we need environment modelling and other tools to develop mitigation steps and accommodate practices, institutes and communities to the present situation of recourse deficit, especially regarding a water.

      1 Comment reply

      1. Hi Niza; sorry to get back to you so late. just saw this today. Your concerns are quite valid. If I may change a few word meanings. "environment modelling"  I call "Imitating environmental protocol". Using the technology called Bioremediation and using the RNA microbial group called Archaea all of the problems/concerns of todays world are easily repaired. There is not a desert in the world that can not become a forest in 5 years. Please let me know YOUR specific area of need and exact problem and I will set up a repair protocol.  Please use my skype: guy_mcgowen to communicate with me.  Until then I will study the Aral Sea and determine the best course of action.   Take care.

  6. Erdem, We probably need more detail on your problem, but if I understand correctly you want to take a network of streams and ascribe each segment to one of your 3 classes? Perhaps you could use a flow accumulation approach using a DEM? Calculate the flow accumulation along your stream network - and then compare the flow accumulation values with streams that you know are perennial or intermittent. If you have a reasonable sample of streams with known characteristics this can work - although you may need to account for variability in rainfall and/or geology if you are doing it over a wide area.