Kankakee River (Indiana) Discharge Monitoring with Argonaut-SL
Figure 1. Discharge Data from the Kankakee River Using an Argonaut-SL*
The USGS Water Resources Division has developed an Argonaut-SL standard cross-section
to monitor river discharge in the Kankakee River. The cross section is about 20-m wide by
2-3 m deep, and is located downstream of a highway bridge. The Argonaut-SL was
located on the left bridge abutment about 1.5 m from the bottom.
A series of discharge measurements were made at the site by passing a mobile current
profiler over the cross-section several times. These discharge measurements were then used
to develop calibration relations for monitoring discharge from real-time Argonaut-SL data.
Figure 1 shows the actual instantaneous discharge data (in red)
obtained with the SL. The black line represents instantaneous discharge calculated via the
USGS’s standard stage-area relation.
Higher variabilities are expected in a velocity-based method when compared to a
state-area method, and the graph shows good agreement between
the two methods.
The USGS Indiana Office reports that they have had good results when they compare the
discharge data computed using the Argonaut-SL to discharge data computed using
conventional methods. As a result, they have made available the real-time data computed
with the Argonaut-SL from two of their streamflow-gauging stations in northwest Indiana.
Here are the links to those sites (please note that these stations may occasionally be
down for maintenance):
*Graph and real-time data courtesy of the USGS. Data are
provisional and subject to revision.
Details about this SonTek/YSI product can be found at:
