Measurement of stream channel habitat using sonar
An efficient and low cost technique using a sonar system was evaluated for describing channel geometry and quantifying inundated area in a large river. The boat-mounted portable sonar equipment was used to record water depths and river width measurements for direct storage on a laptop computer. The field data collected from repeated traverses at a cross-section were evaluated to determine the precision of the system and field technique. Results from validation at two different sites showed average sample standard deviations (S.D.s) of 0.12 m for these complete cross-sections, with coefficient of variations of 10%. Validation using only the mid-channel river cross-section data yields an average sample S.D. of 0.05 m, with a coefficient of variation below 5%, at a stable and gauged river site using only measurements of water depths greater than 0.6 m. Accuracy of the sonar system was evaluated by comparison to traditionally surveyed transect data from a regularly gauged site. We observed an average mean squared deviation of 46.0 cm2, considering only that portion of the cross-section inundated by more than 0.6 m of water. Our procedure proved to be a reliable, accurate, safe, quick, and economic method to record river depths, discharges, bed conditions, and substratum composition necessary for stream habitat studies.
Citation Information
Publication Year | 1998 |
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Title | Measurement of stream channel habitat using sonar |
DOI | 10.1002/(SICI)1099-1646(1998110)14:6<511::AID-RRR517>3.0.CO;2-7 |
Authors | Marshall Flug, Heather Seitz, John Scott |
Publication Type | Article |
Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
Series Title | Regulated Rivers: Research & Management |
Index ID | 70020217 |
Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |