Impact of Channel Slope on Cutthroat Flume Performance

Abstract

Abstract. Cutthroat flumes are widely used in field projects to estimate discharge via a stage-discharge relationship. Flumes are commonly tested and calibrated in a laboratory to develop the stage-discharge relationship, but field installations often occur under non-idealized conditions, specifically with respect to bed slope. We calibrated a cutthroat flume with dimensions of 0.91 m length and 0.35 m throat width for bed slopes ranging from 0% to 2% to represent a range of field conditions. The experiment was conducted in the Water Resources Lab of the College of Engineering at the University of Wyoming, which provided highly accurate discharge measurements. Results showed negligible impact of slope on the resulting stage-discharge relationship under free flow conditions. We were able to generate a composite rating curve for bed slopes ranging from 0% to 2% for flumes of this size. Our study indicates that, under free flow conditions, longitudinal floor slopes ranging from 0% to 2% do not significantly affect the cutthroat flume rating curve. Keywords: Cutthroat flume, Flume calibration, Free flow, Rating curve, Stream discharge.