How to Measure Water Current of Guaporé (Itenez) River?

1. Where is the Guaporé River?

The Guaporé River is a major river of South America. It forms part of the international border between Brazil and Bolivia. Its source is in the Mato Grosso state of Brazil, where the land is high.

Guaporé zigzags its course through the variation of topography, from tropical rainforests to savannas. The rainforests lining its banks are rich in biodiversity, owing to a large variety of plant and animal life. Different types of monkeys, colored birds such as toucans and macaws, and numerous reptiles like anacondas and caimans abound in these forests. The river also contains various species of fish, which come quite handy for local fishing.

This was one of the means of transportation amongst the people of the region. The indigenous tribes in the region had taken advantage of this for several centuries in traveling and trading. The presence of the river also affects the local climate and ecological balance in the regions it courses through.

2. What is the Flow Rate of the Guaporé (Itenez) River Like?

The flow rate of the Guaporé-Itenez River is controlled by the seasonal rainfall in the Amazon basin. During the wet season, from December to May, the river normally shows a remarkable increase in flow. In fact, the heavy rainfall within this enormous watershed rapidly causes the river to swell. In this time, the average flow can be very high since large volumes of water are in flow.

The flow of the Guaporé River becomes very minimal during the dry season. The stored water in its basin and the contribution of minor tributaries maintain its steady flow. Other artificial and natural obstructions, such as rapids and small dams, account for further changes in the flow of the river; these may be manifested as a variation in flow velocity and water level.

The flow of the Guaporé (Itenez) River is also vital for the health and nourishment of the rain forests and savannas along its banks through the water it supplies to varied plant life, helping the dispersion of nutrients, and serving as the main survival option for many aquatic and terrestrial species.

3. How to Measure Water Current of Guaporé (Itenez) River?

There are a number of ways to measure the current of water in the Guaporé River.

Traditional Methods

Float Method: Simplest among the traditional ways of estimating the current speed is by using floats. A float, such as a marked buoy or any natural object like a log, is thrown into the water. Estimations of surface current speed can be made by observing a float travel over a known distance and measuring the time of travel. This technique provides only surface flow information and does not give any details on flow with depth. Mechanical Current Meters: These are instruments installed directly in the water at specific points. They measure the speed of the water passing through them. They can give more accurate data right at the site of installation but must be put rightly and may not cover a wide area of the profile of the flow of the river.

Advanced Method - Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP)

But now the measurements are more advanced and efficient with ADCP profiler.

3.1 How do the ADCPs using the Doppler Principle Work?

ADCP meter operate on the principle of the Doppler effect. They transmit acoustic pulses into the water. Where the pulse interacts with the moving particle in the water, there is a change in frequency of the reflected pulses due to the Doppler effect. This frequency shift is used by the ADCP flow meter to compute the velocity at various depths.

A number of transducers are installed on the ADCP doppler for the purpose of sending acoustic signals in various directions. These can measure the horizontal and vertical components of water flow. This allows a three-dimensional mapping of the water current, which is necessary to understand the interesting flow patterns of the Guaporé (Itenez) River.

3.2 What is required for high-quality measurement of Currents in the Guaporé (Itenez) River?

Equipment characteristics play a major role in a high-quality measurement of Guaporé's currents, using an ADCP current profiler. For this case, the casing of the ADCP should be made of some reliable material; the best option would be a titanium alloy.

It also has a number of advantages, namely: because of light weight, it is easy to handle and deploy the ADCP in often-remote-and-hard locations along the Guaporé ;tenez) River. It also has excellent corrosion resistance. Given the chemical composition of the Guaporé water and the humid tropical environment, the corrosion-resistant property of titanium alloy provides long-term precision and reliability for the ADCP current meter.

Besides, for the long-scale measurement along the river of Guaporé (Itenez), the preference is that the ADCP would have low power consumption and low cost. A low-power-consuming ADCP can work longer and thus is suitable for continuous monitoring. A cost-effective ADCP is able to be deployed more widely without high financial costs.

3.3 How to Choose the Right Equipment for Current Measurement?

The intended use will be one of the most determining means in selecting the appropriate ADCP to take measurements of the current of the Guaporé (Itenez) River. For example, horizontal flow measurement across a section of the river may call for a Horizontal Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. Normally, HADCPs are supposed to provide precise measurements of the horizontal velocity components of the water current. Vertical Flow Profile Measurement: For the measurement of vertical flow profile, a VADCP (Vertical Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler) is better. The VADCPs are configured to measure the speed of water at different depths along a vertical line in the river.

In general, for the shallower parts of the Guaporé River-Itenez, a 600 kHz ADCP shall be applicable to water depths up to about 70 m. A 300 kHz ADCP shall be more appropriate for deeper sections; it allows reliable measurements achievable to approximately 110 m.

There are well - known ADCP brands such as Teledyne RDI, Nortek, and Sontek. However, for a cost - effective option with good quality, China Sonar PandaADCP is worth considering. It is made of all - titanium alloy material and offers an excellent cost - performance ratio. You can find more information on their website: https://china-sonar.com/.

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