Research and Development Office

Investigating feasibility of acoustic Doppler methods for monitoring suspended sediment

Project ID: 1777
Principal Investigator: Daniel Dombroski
Research Topic: Sediment Management and River Restoration
Funded Fiscal Years: 2017
Keywords: None

Research Question

Is sediment monitoring using acoustic methods a feasible and cost-effective strategy to offer Reclamation clients in addressing sediment management issues in Reclamation reservoirs and rivers?

Need and Benefit

Need:
Sedimentation is one of the most significant problems facing rivers and reservoirs today; it is responsible for loss of conveyance, reduced flood protection, reduced power generation capacity, and ecosystem degradation. Fundamentally, the issue of reservoir sustainability is a matter of managing sedimentation. Understanding the sedimentation process and how to manage it requires the ability to accurately predict, control, and monitor sediment transport.
Benefit:
The benefit of developing the capability will be widespread within Reclamation; the acquired data could be used to refine computational and theoretical tools, as well as gauge the sediment-related effects of reservoir operations including sedimentation rates downstream water quality.
Urgency:

Contributing Partners

Contact the Principal Investigator for information about partners.

Research Products

Bureau of Reclamation Review

The following documents were reviewed by experts in fields relating to this project's study and findings. The results were determined to be achieved using valid means.

Investigating feasibility of acoustic Doppler methods for monitoring suspended sediment (final, PDF, 2.6MB)
By Daniel Dombroski
Research Product completed on September 30, 2018

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