Abstract / scope
This Technical Report deals with the use of boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) for
determining flow in open channels without ice cover. It describes a number of methods of deploying ADCPs to
determine flow. Although, in some cases, these measurements are intended to determine the stage-discharge
relationship of a gauging station, this Technical Report deals only with single determination of discharge.
The term ADCP has been adopted as a generic term for a technology that is manufactured by various
companies worldwide. They are also called acoustic Doppler velocity profilers (ADVPs) or acoustic Doppler
profilers (ADPs). ADCPs can be used to measure a variety of parameters, such as current or stream flow, water
velocity fields, channel bathymetry and estimation of sediment concentration from acoustic backscatter. This
Technical Report is generic in form and contains no operational details specific to particular ADCP makes and
models. Accordingly, to use this document effectively, it is essential that users are familiar with the terminology
and functions of their own ADCP equipment.