Blog

Although it isn’t always possible to bring power out to a where you need an equipment shelter, that doesn't mean that there isn't a need for it.  For those applications Openchannelflow offers a range of non-powered ventilation options for our fiberglass…

Under free-flow conditions, short-throated flumes control flow in a region of the flume that produces curvilinear flow.  As such, there is only one point of measurement at which the level-to-flow relationship holds.  This primary point of measurement, Ha, occurs in the…

Where a walk-in fiberglass shelter or building is more than an installation calls for, but where all-weather equipment protection is needed, Openchannelflow offers the Gemini equipment enclosure. 

We often talk about how OCF tried to sweat the small things.  One of the items that we have focused on is our flow meter sensor mounting brackets.  Many of the designs currently on the market show, what we believe to be, a "good enough" philosophy - that the brackets…

For installations where a Packaged Metering Manhole will be subject to vehicle (AASHTO H-20/HS-20) traffic require custom formed reducers are necessary to transfer the lop load to the manhole walls. Laminated to the top of the manhole barrel, the reducer provides a bench on to…

ISCO does a great job of presenting a wide range of information on measuring open channel flows in their Open Channel Flow Measurement Handbook.  The handbook strikes just the right note when it comes to presenting the material in a way that the casual operator can readily…

While we often thing we seen it all, we are continually amazed by users.  YouTube user Sidney Seckler has posted a video showing an unusual use for a Parshall flume:  Chemical Mixing! Alum is added (as a coagulant) to the flow upstream of the flume.  The flow is…

YouTube user Javier Cornejo has posted an interesting video of a scale model of a dam and how flow can seep through it. The water on the upstream side of the dam has had dye added to aid in the visualization of the seepage through the dam.  Additionally, as the seepage has…

In the United States there are primarily two methods of apportioning the use of water by individuals or organizations (for the purposes of agriculture, farming, irrigation):  Riparian (land based) and Prior Appropriation (use base)

One of the most common questions that we receive is how much straight channel is required upstream of a Parshall flume.  The answer is quite simple...

There are several components to measurement errors when using staff (level) gauges to determine flow depth in a flume or weir.  In general, staff gauge reading errors can be attributed to: Distance between the staff gauge and the observer The angle at which the gauge must be…

For those unused to measuring seepage from embankment dams knowing when to measure can sometimes be challenging.  In its Embankment Dam Instrumentation Manual, the Bureau of Reclamation lays out how frequently inspections should be made. Note that the table below indicates…

Seepage through, below, or around an embankment dam is a critical indicator of the health and condition of the dam.  The amount of seepage is normally directly related to the water level in the reservoir.  However, any sudden change in the amount of seepage without an…