CSHS Webinar: Field Methods

 In Archived, Webinars

 

In collaboration with the CWRA – Manitoba Branch, CSHS offered a webinar at 1pm (EDT) on October 27th to demonstrate innovative field methods available to Canadian Water Resource Professionals. The one-hour webinar consisted of three 15-minute presentations followed by five minutes of questions.

  1. Stream flow data acquisition in the Kootenay National Park to improve hydraulic design of highway infrastructures located in mountainous regions– Vincent Cormier (WSP)

The engineering community faces many challenges when designing water-related infrastructures in mountainous and remote locations. Relevant hydrometric data is often scarce and design flood calculation for stream crossings design can be challenging. This presentation will discuss how the lack of available streamflow data limits our ability to predict the magnitude of extreme flow events in mountainous regions. The Kootenay National Park case study will demonstrate how streamflow data acquisition in remote locations can dramatically improve design flow calculations for hydraulic infrastructure design.

  1. Ice Roughness Estimation via Remotely Piloted Aircraft and Photogrammetry – James Ehrman (University of Manitoba)

Photogrammetry conducted with images obtained via Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) has revolutionized the field of land surface monitoring. It is particularly useful in applications where land surface data collection would otherwise be expensive or dangerous. In the field of fluvial ice monitoring, manual measurements are generally impractical and dangerous. This research seeks to determine if RPA photogrammetry is a suitable method for determining surface characteristics of fluvial ice covers. Further, the hypothesis that surface roughness of a fluvial ice cover is indicative of subsurface roughness is tested. Through four years of data collection, other applications of RPA photogrammetry for the characterization of fluvial ice covers are proposed.

  1. Image Velocimetry: a camera based non-contact streamflow measurement tool – James Bomhof (Water Survey of Canada)

The Water Survey of Canada (WSC) is investigating the use of Image Velocimetry as a non-contact method to measure streamflow. Videos recorded from fixed cameras or Unmanned Aerial Systems are used with channel cross-sections to calculate streamflow. This method allows for remote and more frequent streamflow measurements while increasing safety as technicians do not need to enter the water. A brief description of the technique and examples from WSC testing sites will be presented.