Non-contact volumetric flow monitoring in a semi-arid regions’ Wadi

Monitoring volumetric flow in arid and semi-arid regions is a major challenge due to their harsh and continuously changing environment (e.g. extreme temperature, severe sand storms). In these regions, hydrological events such as rainfall storms and flash flood events occur intermittently, time between major events may take years. Drainage water courses in these areas are often referred as Wadis, which are ephemeral drainage courses. Wadis are normally dry except after a rain event, often resulting in flash floods events with flood peak values occurring in the first few minutes of the event.

Monitoring the volumetric flow under these environments requires robust devices which record continuously at relatively short recording intervals, e.g. minutes or less, to be able to capture the steep ramp of the flood peak.

On April 2021 a DischargeKeeper, an image-based system for flow monitoring, with a PTZ camera was installed at the Wadi Naqab located in northern United Arab Emirates. The Wadi is approximately 50m wide and has been dry for most of the time. One event occurred at the beginning of January 2022, reaching a peak discharge of 78 m³/s just 15min after water started flowing. In this session we will show the system, its challenges and the results of the event.