How do you measure stream flow?
Quick stream flow measuring is best done with a water current meter to measure water current velocity.  Stream flow measuring is easily accomplished using a water current meter and a tape measure.  The current velocity meter allows you to measure stream flow velocity in feet or meters per second and measure water depth in hundredths of a foot up to three feet.  The average stream flow velocity times the cross-sectional area of the stream determines the stream flow measurement in cubic feet or meters per second.  The area for of a channel is known for pipes, or is determined for a stream flow measurement by measuring the distance from shore and water depth at various points across the stream flow to construct a channel profile.  The water current meter offers two unique methods for determining average water velocity:  1) For small stream flows and pipes, the current velocity meter may be moved smoothly and uniformly throughout the stream flow profile until a steady average reading is displayed.  This steady reading is the true average velocity for the stream flow.  2) For larger streams, the current velocity meter may be used to measure a vertical profile of water velocity at several points across a stream channel.  The stream flow measurement for the profile is the sum of the average velocity of each subsection of stream flow times its cross-sectional area.  For more information on the water current meter click HERE.  For more information on stream gauging using current velocity meter click HERE.