Use of Small UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) for Field Measurement of Hydraulic Parameters in Small Drainage Basins

This project will examine the feasibility of using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) (aka drones) to field measure water surface elevations with corresponding velocities and water depths (bathymetry) within a 10% accuracy in calculated discharge compared to conventional methods. Conventional methods would include surveying each section and using some form of a current meter such as the USGS Type AA Current Meter to determine streamflow velocities. Conventional methods for determining discharge require surveying and can be time consuming, costly, and unsafe during flooding events, thus is seldom undertaken for smaller drainage basins. Any high-water marks recorded are hard to determine what the corresponding discharge was for that elevation, hence, unreliable for the calibration of hydraulic models. Being able to efficiently and safely determine an accurate water surface elevation with the corresponding velocity and water depths across a section can help calibrate hydraulic modeling when it comes time for replacing the structure. If used during a flooding event, it could provide more useful information than a typical high-water mark or extreme high-water mark as an associated discharge can be connected to that elevation.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $299,999.00
• Contract Numbers:

  TR202510

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Missouri Department of Transportation

  1617 Missouri Boulevard
  P.O. Box 270
  Jefferson City, MO  United States  65102
• Project Managers:

  Breeding, Scott

• Performing Organizations:

  Missouri Center for Transportation Innovation

  Lafferre Hall
  416 S 6th St.
  Columbia, Missouri  United States  65201
• Principal Investigators:

  Binbin, Wang

• Start Date: 20241223
• Expected Completion Date: 20260413
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bathymetry; Data collection; Drainage basins; Drones; Feasibility analysis; Floods; Peak discharge
• Subject Areas: Aviation; Data and Information Technology; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01953939
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Missouri Department of Transportation
• Contract Numbers: TR202510
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Apr 30 2025 9:13AM