Discharge Measurement Using Portable Dilution Gauging Flowmeters

This paper suggests that the relative salt (sodium chloride) dilution method should be more widely used for the routine measurement of stream discharge, and has been written to increase awareness of the technique among flow-gauging practitioners. Recent improvements in instrumentation have increased accuracy and simplified practical application, making the method better suited (in many circumstances) than the more widely used alternatives. The paper (a) reports on a field study to evaluate the performance of a portable dilution-gauging flowmeter, and (b) considers the environmental issues which are associated with the method. The review reveals that the use of salt (in the quantities typically required) is unlikely to have any significant ecological impact, and argues that environmental concerns are founded upon little scientific basis.