Extreme Flow Metering

From Mountains to Muskeg Under Ice to Flood Flows History

• 1968 – 1976 –WSC – Calgary Region ‐ Hydrometric Technician –Metering, Flow Computations and Snow Surveys • 1977 – 2002 –AENV –Southern ‐ Technologist/Manager –Hydrometrics, Snow Surveys, Telemetry, Flow Forecasting, Hydrology, Etc. • 2002 ‐ ???? – 1511639 –Alberta Ltd. ‐ Compliance Monitoring –Ski Areas, Pipe Flows, Oil Companies, Alberta Environment, Hydraulic Fracturing Extractions, Various Hydrology Studies, Inspections and Reports for the Alberta Disaster Recovery Program since 2010. Open Water Flow Metering

• Methods Wading, Bridges, Cableways • Difficulties ‐Weeds, Beaver Dams, Uneven Channels, Etc. ‐ Site selections and Access, Etc. 622AA Price Meter Wading with Price AA

• Forty Mile Creek at Mt. Norquay Find the Creek –or River! Liard River near the NWT Border Tsea River ‐Defined Channel ‐ May Same Channel ‐ June Try to meter flow here! ‐ July Or Here! On top of an old beaver dam! Deep Channel – Medium Risk! After Runoff –Low Risk Spring Runoff –High Risk! Ideal Conditions! Bridge Frame and A‐Reel @ Calgary –Peak 2013 ‐ June 21 – 07:00 Bow @ Calgary –After Peak 2013 – June 26 @ 15:00 U/S Hwy #22 – June 20, 2013 ‐ Peak Elbow River D/S Hwy 22 – June 20, 2013 ‐ Peak Standing Waves Flood debris –metering hazard! Sunshine Parking Lot – June 21, 2013 Healy Creek –Old Channel Bridge Measurements ‐ Miscellaneous Cableways

• Most accurate and efficient –next to wading. • Safety issues and litigation. • Specs have been beefed up. • Safety checked yearly • Used by both WSC and USGS North Milk River at Western Crossing Cableway vs. Bridge Bow River @ Carseland ‐ 2005 Cattle Rub Ice Measurements

• Not always “under ice” – thus the heading! • Always safety issues – requires training –and common sense. • Rescue • Equipment • Technique • Dynamics –temperature and depth. 6240AA Price Ice Meter Under Ice Flow Metering –High Risk! Channel jamming and filling! Anchor Ice – Channel full –Flow Abating A dam of ice is building upstream…. The wading section D/S an hour later ‐ No ice to chop! Usual wading site –Forty‐Mile Creek near Banff Just Upstream! 100 meters upstream –close to release! Logger water level data Snow Surveying –Nigel Creek below Parker Ridge ‐ 1984 Other Hazards! Bear Tracks Wolf Tracks Helicopters Various incidents –Before OH&S near miss reporting No report necessary to document –just a lasting memory!

• Bridge –South Sask. @ Medicine Hat – 1995 Flood • Cableway –Red Deer below below Burnt Timber ‐ 1974 • Cableway‐ McLeod River near Wolf Creek – June 1972 • On Ice – McLeod River near Wolf Creek –April 1972 • Cableway –North Sask. Near Rocky Mtn. House – 1969 • Snow Surveys –South Racehorse –March 30, 2002.