Turbidity-controlled suspended sediment sampling for runoff-event load estimation

Abstract

Abstract - For estimating suspended sediment concentration (SSC) in rivers, turbidity is generally a much better predictor than water discharge. Although it is now possible to collect continuous turbidity data even at remote sites, sediment sampling and load estimation are still conventionally based on discharge. With frequent calibration the relation of turbidity to SSC could be used to estimate suspended loads more efficiently. In the proposed system a programmable data logger signals a pumping sampler to collect SSC specimens at specific turbidity thresholds. Sampling of dense field records of SSC and turbidity is simulated to investigate the feasibility and efficiency of turbidity-controlled sampling for estimating sediment loads during runoff events.

Citation

Lewis, Jack. 1996. Turbidity-controlled suspended sediment sampling for runoff-event load estimation. Water Resources Research 32(7): 2299-2310.