EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES--Current Meters

In Reply Refer To:                                       September 10, 1985
WGS-Mail Stop 415




SURFACE WATER BRANCH TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM NO. 85.14

Subject:  EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES--Current Meters

Please replace the original table 1 provided with Surface Water Branch

Technical Memorandum 85.07 dated May 13, 1985, with the attached table.  This

will correct an erroneous value of minimum velocity given for the Price-

Pygmy meter in the original table.




                                           Verne R. Schneider
                                           Acting Chief, Surface Water Branch

Attachment

WRD Distribution:  A, B, S, FO, PO

This memorandum corrects Surface Water Branch Memorandum 85.07.




     Table 1.--Configuration, availability, recommended velocity, and depth ranges for U.S. Geological Survey Current meters
  ____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                |_____Bucket______|_________Contact___|              | Velocity |  Depth    |
  Meter         |         |         |             |       |              | range in |  range    |
  type__________|Metal__|Polymer|Catwhisker_|Optic|Availability|___ft/s___|_inft____|Remarks____________________
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Price AA      |   x     |         |      x      |       | Available    | 0.10-12  | 1.5 and   |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          | greater   |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Price AA      |   x     |         |             |   x   | Not planned  |          |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  P-AA          |         |    x    |      x      |       | Available    | 0.15-12  |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  F-AA          |         |    x    |             |   x   | Available    | 0.15-12  |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Price-Pygmy   |   x     |         |      x      |       | Available    | 0.25     | 0.3-1.5***| Low velocities shown on
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           | standard rating table are a
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           | questionable extrapolation
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Price-Pygmy   |   x     |         |             |   x   | Not planned  |          |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  P-Pygmy       |         |    x    |      x      |       | FY 1987      |          |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  F-Pygmy       |         |    x    |             |   x   | FY 1987**    |          |   do.     |
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Low velocity  |   x     |         |             |       | Available    |          |   ---     | No difference in rating
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           | from Price AA meter
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  Ice           |Vertical-|         |             |       | Available    | 0.5-8*   | 1.5 and   | Rod use - not to be used
                | vane    |         |             |       |              |          | greater   | closer than 0.5 foot to
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           | surface or bed
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           |
  F-Combination |         |         |             |       | FY 1987      |          |   ---     | This meter will be usable
                |         |         |             |       |              |          |           | with rod, cable, or ice
  ______________|_________|_________|_____________|_______|______________|__________|___________|suspension________________

    *Meters are individually rod rated.  Those rated prior to December 1, 1981, should only be used within this range.

   **Specially rated versions of this meter can be requested from the Hydrologic Instrumentation Facility.  Meter is
     recommended for high velocities and shallow depths.

  ***Meter may be used in depths as low as 0.3 foot by using the 0.6-depth method.  It should be recognized, however, that
     there is an unknown underregistration error when the meter is used in depths less than 0.75 foot.