George Arcement Demonstrates the ADCP

USGS Water Science Center Director George Arcement demonstrates the Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) to legislative staffers. USGS uses the ADCP to make streamflow measurements. The ADCP emits soundwaves through the water column, which rebound off particles in the water until they reach the river bottom. The ADCP reads these reflected soundwaves to determine the speed and the depth of the water, which together yield the streamflow of the river. At the height of the flood, USGS crews are out every other day taking streamflow measurements to ensure the US Army Corps of Engineers has accurate, up-to-date information with which to base its river management decisions.