spring flow rates

[Puttzer]

Anyone know a source to find out current flow rates from any given spring?

FWIW: how does one measure the flow rate?

[jlillest]

So, I'm not even close to an expert and I've never used any of the techniques in the book, but Art Palmer's Cave Geology book has some excellent math for claculating flow rates. Most of them are for dry cave flows, but you might be able to apply them to the springs that have spring runs. If nothing else, the book is an excellent read for a caver interested in karst geology.

-Jon

[RN]

USGS does regular measurements of various springs throughout the state. They put some instruments in the water attached to laptops and get their data that way. Here's a website link with some information - http://waterdata.usgs.gov/fl/nwis/in...ria=site_tp_cd

[SuPrBuGmAn]

I've seen them do it, but usually without any electronics(seemingly).

Usually they just wade out in the water with a rope and a couple of simple measuring devices and a timer of some sort - LOL.

[rjack]

Velocity in an open channel is measured with a flow meter at various points in the channel. Then the average is multiplied by the cross sectional area of the channel to calculate flow. If you do this enough at different water stages (height) you develop something called a "rating curve" which is basically the relationship between river stage and flow.
A rather basic tutorial is here, worth reading though: http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/measureflow.html

I don't think they measure flow in caves very often, it could be done its just easier to measure in the spring run.

[PfcAJ]

http://www.falmouth.com/sensors/currentmeters.html

[Leslie Sapp]

The most recent published flow data for many springs can be found here
There is a lot of historical data in Bulletin 66, but I am unaware of any continuous, real time flow data on any spring.

I wish there were, as I believe that data would tell us a lot about the correlation between rain events and groundwater flow.

[PfcAJ]

http://www.geohydros.com/FGS/index.htm

There is some pretty interesting stuff on that website, and I think KUR has published some data regarding Weeki Wachee and the surrounding springs.

[ianr33]

There is a lot of historical data in Bulletin 66, but I am unaware of any continuous, real time flow data on any spring.

I wish there were, as I believe that data would tell us a lot about the correlation between rain events and groundwater flow.

At least one spring in Texas has continuous ,real time monitoring of flow and several other parameters.

http://waterdata.usgs.gov/usa/nwis/uv?08155500

And no, this is not a diveable spring!

[rjack]

I wish there were, as I believe that data would tell us a lot about the correlation between rain events and groundwater flow.

Its expensive to monitor in real time.

At least JB and Wakulla are reported in real time here: http://www.nwfwmd.state.fl.us/isb/hydro/stage.html
In the Marianna area, USGS has real time data for the Chipola River too.

Moving east, Manatee and a few others are reported in real time here:
http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/realtim...verlevels.aspx

And further east still into the St. John's district semi-annual springs reports are available here:
http://floridaswater.com/hydrocondit...roreports.html

I'm in Washington State and these are just sources I speculated might have information. There are probably a few more, although none of it is tabulated into a format for divers to easy correlate to conditions.