ADCP Application in Kama River Flood Management

1. Where is Kama River?

Kama River is one of the big rivers in Russia. It is the largest left tributary of the Volga River. It rises in the Ural Mountains and flows generally southwestward through a varied landscape.

Geographically, it cuts across regions of forests, plains, and industrial regions. It also borders key cities such as Perm. It forms an important channel in the transport of goods and people and supplies water for both industrial and domestic consumption. The variety of fish and other aqua life further indicates that it hosts an entire ecosystem.

In terms of rainfall, the Kama River Basin experiences a continental climate. There is a fair amount of snowfall during the winter months, and the snowmelt in spring significantly contributes to the river's water volume. Summer rainfall is also an important factor, with thunderstorms and frontal systems bringing precipitation. The combination of snowmelt and rainfall patterns determines the river's flow and water level fluctuations.

2. What are the Reasons for Floods in Kama River?

Snowmelt and Heavy Rainfall: The main reason for flooding in the Kama River is the combined effect of rapid snow melting during spring and heavy summer rainfall. Because of its extensive catchment area, a large amount of water can enter the river in a very short time. When snow melts rapidly because of a sudden warm spell and is coupled with heavy rainfall, it may surpass the river's carrying capacity and cause flooding.

Tributary Inflows: There are many tributaries of the Kama River. During its snowmelt or rainfall, all these tributaries start contributing a lot of water to the main channel of the river. When this happens, the meeting of these tributaries may cause a sudden rise in the water level of the Kama River and thus result in flooding.

Topography and Drainage: The course of the river contains both relatively flat floodplains and some natural constrictions. Where the floodplains are flat, the water can be retarded in its passage and spread out to flood areas adjacent to the channel. Constrictions impede the normal flow of water, allowing it to back up and raise the water level upstream from the obstruction. In addition, the type of soil and its permeability in surrounding areas can affect drainage and contribute to flooding.

Land Use Changes: Human activities like urban development, agriculture, and industrial activities have altered the land around the river. Impervious surfaces in cities increase surface runoff, while agricultural practices can alter the water-holding capacity of the soil. Industrial activities may also introduce pollutants that can affect the river's ecosystem and its ability to handle water. ADCP provides a more sophisticated and effective way of measurement for flood-related data compared to traditional methods.

3. How Do ADCPs Using the Doppler Principle Work?

ADCPs work on the principle of Doppler. They transmit acoustic signals into the water. These acoustic waves interact with moving particles in the water, such as sediment, debris, and water parcels that have different velocities. Since the emitted waves are returned after hitting these moving objects, the frequency of reflected waves is changed by the Doppler effect.

The ADCP measures this frequency shift, by knowing the speed of sound in water and the angles of the emitted and received signal it can calculate the velocity of the water at different depths. Multiple transducers in the ADCP profiler are used to measure the velocity in different directions. By integrating these velocity measurements over different depths and cross-sectional areas of the river, the flow rate and other important hydrological parameters can be determined.

4. What are the applications of ADCP in Kama River floods?

Velocity Measurement: ADCP current profiler can quite precisely measure the velocity of the flow in the Kama River at different locations and depths. In the case of a flood, such information is very important in describing the dynamics of this flood. It helps indicate those places where the flow is rapid and could become dangerous for riverbanks, bridges, and other structures. It also allows for the monitoring of how the flow velocity changes over time as the flood progresses.

Application in Measuring the Flow Rate: By computing the cross-sectional area of the river together with the velocity measured by ADCP, flow rate would be calculated. It becomes vital since the amount of water at higher levels might flow down, and volume passing through each portion determines the way floods occur. This serves as a better guide to anticipation for flood peak and volume of flood downstream, very important information for flood management strategies.

Sediment Transport Research: The Kama River floods can transport a considerable amount of sediment. ADCP flow meter is able to analyze the sediment movements by detecting echoes of acoustic signals affected by sediment particles. This gives valuable insights into how floods affect the evolution of the riverbed, sediment deposition, and erosion processes, which is important for maintaining the stability of the river channel and the surrounding ecosystem.

5. How can the Data Measured by ADCP be Utilized for Flood Warning and Risk Management of Kama River?

Flood Warning

Velocity and Flow Rate Data Monitoring: ADCP current profiler continuously monitors the velocity and flow rate data to identify abnormal increases in these parameters. When the flow rate approaches or exceeds certain critical values, it serves as an indication of an impending flood peak. This enables timely flood warnings to be issued to communities and relevant authorities along the river.

Water Level Prediction and Warning: By correlating the measured flow rate and velocity data with historical water level records, models can be developed to predict future water level changes. This helps in providing advance warnings about the areas that may get inundated and the height of the floodwaters.

Risk Management

Water Conservancy Project Scheduling Decision Support: The ADCP data can help with the decision-making process of operating water conservancy projects, including dams and reservoirs along the Kama River. For instance, it helps in determining the proper timing and amount of water to be released from reservoirs to minimize the impact of a flood downstream.

Flood Disaster Assessment and Emergency Response: When a flood event has taken place, ADCP-measured data will be able to show the degree of the flood in terms of inundated area coverage and flow characteristics during the flood. The information guides emergency response activities in terms of relief resource allocation and planning for post-flood recovery work.

6. What is needed for high-quality measurement of Kama River currents?

Reliable materials are needed to construct the equipment for high-quality measurement of the Kama River currents. The casing should be resistant to the adverse conditions of the river, such as impacts of floating debris, corrosion of water with different chemical composition, and the extreme temperature range of the region.

The size of the equipment should be small enough to be installed and deployed easily at different locations in the river. The lightweight design is also helpful for easy transportation and installation. Low power consumption is necessary to keep the equipment running continuously for long periods without the need for frequent battery replacements or high-energy power sources. Cost-effectiveness is another important factor in enabling large-scale deployment for comprehensive monitoring.

The casing of ADCP meter is better made from titanium alloy. There are a few outstanding advantages in using the alloy of titanium. The material has excellent corrosion resistance, an essential condition for withstanding long-term exposure to the river water. It will also be able to give sufficient strength at high strength-to-weight ratio, hence keeping the weight of the equipment reasonable. This is one such material that assures stable performance under the different environmental conditions of the Kama River Basin.

7. How to Choose the Right Equipment for Current Measurement?

Based on Measurement Purpose: For horizontal cross-section measurement of the river, a Horizontal ADCP (HADCP) is the right choice as it can measure the flow velocity and other parameters in the horizontal direction across the river section with good accuracy. In the case of vertical cross-section measurement, a Vertical ADCP is more suitable for obtaining detailed velocity profiles along the vertical axis of the river.

Based on Water Depth: The different frequencies of ADCP are meant for different water depths. In water up to 70 meters, the ADCP frequency could be 600 kHz. In the case of deeper water of up to 110 meters, an ADCP with a frequency of 300 kHz will serve better because it can give more penetration and yield reliable data.

There are well-known ADCP brands like Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. Additionally, a cost-effective Chinese brand, China Sonar PandaADCP, is worth considering. It is made of all-titanium alloy material, ensuring excellent performance and durability. You can find more information on its website: (https://china-sonar.com/)

Here is a table with some well known ADCP instrument brands and models.