Application of the loop method for correcting acoustic doppler current profiler discharge measurements biased by sediment transport

A systematic bias in discharge measurements made with an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) is attributed to the movement of sediment near the streambed-an issue widely acknowledged by the scientific community. This systematic bias leads to an underestimation of measured velocity and discharge. The integration of a differentially corrected Global Positioning System (DGPS) to track the movement of the ADCP can be used to avoid the systematic bias associated with a moving bed. DGPS systems, however, cannot provide consistently accurate positions because of multipath errors and satellite signal reception problems on waterways with dense tree canopy along the banks, in deep valleys or canyons, and near bridges. An alternative method of correcting for the moving-bed bias was investigated by the U.S. Geological Survey.