Discover how cutting-edge technology is transforming river monitoring in this insightful webinar, featuring real-world applications on the Mississippi River. Learn how advanced autonomous systems are improving the accuracy and efficiency of river gauging, while helping teams overcome the challenges of collecting reliable data in dynamic and demanding environments.

The session showcases the Surfbee FloDuet autonomous vessel, highlighting its dual sensor capabilities, integrated GPS, and intelligent navigation enabling precise, repeatable measurements across large river transects. You’ll also gain insight into:

• ADCP data analysis using RSQ software.
• The role of GNSS heading in improving measurement accuracy.
• Seamless integration with EXO sensors and Surfbee Nexus for real time data logging and visualisation.

Discharge and Water Quality on the Mississippi

Collecting accurate river data has required multiple instruments, manual coordination, and significant time investment in the past. Discharge measurements and water-quality sampling were often treated as separate operations, leading to inefficiencies and gaps in understanding. However, a new integrated and autonomous approach has demonstrated how both types of data can be collected simultaneously across large river systems like the Mississippi.

This breakthrough combined advanced acoustic, remote-controlled, and multi-parameter sensing technologies-specifically the SonTek-M9 Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), the Surfbee unmanned surface vessel, and the YSI EXO sonde. Together, these tools enabled synchronised data acquisition, transforming scepticism into measurable proof and setting a new standard for hydrological monitoring.

Traditionally, discharge (the volume of water flowing through a river cross-section) is measured using ADCPs deployed from boats or tethered platforms. Separately, water-quality parameters such as temperature, turbidity, dissolved oxygen, and conductivity are measured using submerged sensors or collected via grab samples. The innovation described here merges these processes into a single, streamlined workflow.

Technology used in the Mississippi survey

The SonTek-M9 ADCP plays a central role in this integration. It uses acoustic signals to measure water velocity and depth across a river profile, allowing precise calculation of discharge. Mounted onto the Surfbee, the M9 continuously collects flow data as the vessel moves across the river without requiring onboard personnel.

The Surfbee, a remote-controlled and highly stable unmanned surface vehicle, serves as the platform that makes true autonomy possible. Designed for challenging flow conditions, it can carry multiple instruments while maintaining a consistent transect path. Its remote operation allows for safer data collection in large or hazardous waterways like the Mississippi River.

Complementing the flow measurements, the YSI EXO sonde is integrated into the system to record environmental parameters in real time. As the Surfbee traverses the river, the EXO captures spatial variations in water quality, providing valuable context to the discharge data. The simultaneous collection ensures that both hydrodynamic and chemical/physical conditions are aligned in both time and space.

Advantages and challenges faced in research  

One of the most significant achievements of this approach is the synchronisation of data sets. By collecting discharge and water-quality data during the same transects, researchers eliminate temporal mismatches that can occur when measurements are taken separately. This results in more accurate interpretations of how flow conditions influence water quality across the river.

Field deployment across the Mississippi River demonstrated not only the feasibility but also the efficiency of this method. Multiple transects were completed autonomously, with high-resolution data captured throughout the water column and across the width of the river. The result was a comprehensive dataset that provides deeper insights into river dynamics than previously possible.

Lessons learned from this first-of-its-kind deployment highlight several key advantages. First, operational efficiency is significantly improved, reducing field time and labour requirements. Second, safety risks are minimised by limiting human presence in challenging river conditions. Third, the quality and consistency of data are enhanced through simultaneous measurement and automation.

However, the deployment also revealed challenges, including the need for robust communication systems, careful calibration of instruments, and precise mission planning to ensure accurate transects. These lessons will inform future implementations and continued refinement of autonomous river monitoring systems.

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