Central Stream Gauging Network

ENCOS was contracted by the City of Central for the development of a Stream Gauge Network System. ENCOS was responsible for the procurement of proposed specified equipment and installation of the Stream Gauge Network System. ENCOS installed eight (8) stream gauging stations across the city of Central. Each station includes a Texas Electronics rain gauge, solar panel, and encloser that houses an XLink 500 datalogger, a battery, and a solar regulator. Seven (7) of the 8 stations include a Nile 502 water level radar while the other has an Amazon Bubbler for measuring water level. Six (6) of the 8 stations include SL1500 ADCPs to measure current flow and velocity. The ADCPs are configured to begin recording data when the water level measurements at their respective stations reach a height that is know to be slightly above where the ADCPs are mounted. The rain gauges, solar panels, and enclosures are all mounted to uni-pole structures that were driven into the ground near the banks of the stream. The radar water level sensors are mounted to bridges that cross their respective streams and the ADCPs are either mounted to bridge pilings underneath the bridge or to a separate uni-pole on the bank of the stream. The bubbler is mounted inside the enclosure of its respective station with a tube running from the enclosure, inside of a separate pipe, and into the water to produce water level measurements. The data collected by this network is streamed via cellular modem to a web-based database and ENCOS monitors the data daily. ENCOS provides three maintenance visits per year over the course of this three-year contract.