Uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs), affordable precise global navigation satellite system hardware, multi-beam echo sounders, open-source 3D hydrodynamic modelling software, and freely available satellite data have opened up opportunities for a robust, affordable, physics-based approach to monitoring river flows. Traditional methods of river discharge estimation are based on point measurements, and heterogeneity of the river geometry is not contemplated. In contrast, a UAV-based system which makes use of geotagged images captured and merged through photogrammetry in order to generate a high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) provides an alternative. This UAV system can capture the spatial variability in the channel shape for the purposes of input to a hydraulic model and hence probably a more accurate flow discharge. In short, the system can be used to produce the river geometry at greater resolution so as to improve the accuracy in discharge estimations. Three-dimensional hydrodynamic modelling offers a framework to establish relationships between river flow and state variables such as width and depth, while satellite images with surface water detection methods or altimetry records can be used to operationally monitor flows through the established rating curve. Uncertainties in the data acquisition may propagate into uncertainties in the relationships found between discharge and state variables. Variations in acquired geometry emanate from the different ground control point (GCP) densities and distributions used during photogrammetry-based terrain reconstruction. In this study, we develop a rating curve using affordable data collection methods and basic principles of physics. The basic principal involves merging a photogrammetry-based dry bathymetry and wet bathymetry measured using an acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP). The output is a seamless bathymetry which is fed into the hydraulic model so as to estimate discharge. The impact of uncertainties in the geometry on discharge estimation is investigated. The impact of uncertainties in satellite observation of depth and width is also analysed. The study shows comparable results between the 3D and traditional river rating discharge estimations. The rating curve derived on the basis of 3D hydraulic modelling was within a 95 % confidence interval of the traditional gauging-based rating curve. The 3D-hydraulic-model-based estimation requires determination of the roughness coefficient within the stable bed and the floodplain using field observation at the end of both the dry and wet season. Furthermore, the study demonstrates that variations in the density of GCPs beyond an optimal number have no significant influence on the resultant rating relationships. Finally, the study observes that which state variable approximation (water level and river width) is more accurate depends on the magnitude of the flow. Combining stage-appropriate proxies (water level when the floodplain is entirely filled and width when the floodplain is filling) in data-limited environments yields more accurate discharge estimations. The study was able to successfully apply advanced UAV and real-time kinematic positioning (RTK) technologies for accurate river monitoring through hydraulic modelling. This system may not be cheaper than in situ monitoring; however, it is notably more affordable than other systems such as crewed aircraft with lidar. In this study the calibration of the hydraulic model is based on surface velocity and the water depth. The validation is based on visual inspection of an RTK-based waterline. In future studies, a larger number of in situ gauge readings may be considered so as to optimize the validation process. ... Read more

The unavailability of consistent accurate river flow data is a significant impediment to understanding water resources availability, and hydrological extremes. This is particularly true for remote, difficult to access, morphologically active and therefore rapidly changing rivers. The state of global river discharge monitoring with respect to water infrastructure and frequency of data collection has been on the decline over the past few decades. This is despite the significant importance of these data for river flow predictions. Fortunately, rapid advancements in technologies open up possibilities for water resource authorities to increase their ability to accurately, safely and efficiently establish river flow observation through remote and non-intrusive observation methods. Low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) in combination with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) can be used to collect geometrical information of the riverbed and floodplain. Such information, in combination with hydraulic modelling tools, can be used to establish physically based relationships between river flows and permanent proxies. This study attempts to monitor flow in volatile, dangerous and difficult to access rivers using only affordable and easy to maintain new technologies. This thesis consists of three main components: i) generating a workable framework for monitoring rivers using low-cost technologies; ii) establishment of river geometry using a combination of airborne photogrammetry and low-cost GNSS equipment iii) and physically based rating curve development through hydraulic modelling of surveyed river sections.

The first three chapters of this thesis provide an introduction in the form of a literature review, justification for the study and a description of the study area. In chapter 4, a framework is developed through an intensive review of traditional river monitoring processes. Uniquely effective and low-cost individual components are selected and placed within a framework. The ideal outcome is an interconnected framework which clearly presents the steps which are necessary for river monitoring in remote locations. The manner in which each critical step is related to the other is explained. Furthermore, the method by which modern technologies are assimilated into the method is described. Within the framework, critical thresholds are set up in order to signal the to the water manager whether the proposed model in its current state continues to perform as required.

Chapter 5 investigates how low-cost technologies such as UAVs in combination with low-cost GNSS devices can be used to generate river geometry for the purposes of application in a hydraulic model. Furthermore, performance of the open-source photogrammetry software substantiated the claim that, free and open-source available packages are capable of producing results which are as good as proprietary alternatives as shown by the RMSE analyses. A novel approach to generate a seamless bathymetry through merging and volumization was successfully tested. Results presented in this chapter encourage future studies to investigate the impact of variations in the number of Ground Control Points (GCPs) on discharge estimations in a hydraulic model with different hydrodynamic boundary conditions. This follow up was instituted in Chapter 6.

In this sixth chapter we accept that uncertainties in the data acquisition may propagate into uncertainties in the relationships found between discharge and state variables. This uncertainty prompts the need to understand the impact of varying geometries on hydraulic models. Specific attention is placed on variations caused by differing GCP numbers since the task of GCP placement is time consuming, potential dangerous and resource intensive in certain location and instances. We are successfully able to determine the minimum number of control points required to reproduce geometry. Overall, we successfully develop and test a workable method for water resources authorities to estimate river flows accurately through the application of advanced, low-cost technologies with minimal contact with measured variables.

The development and application of low-cost technologies for river flow monitoring has led to the following important conclusions:
• For the purpose of flow estimation, there is no need to use more than seven GCPs to establish accurate UAV-based geometry. Rather, it is more crucial to distribute the available markers to be maximally representative of the terrain elevations. Furthermore, it may be necessary to place more markers in close proximity to locations where one may expect the largest challenge for photogrammetry software (e.g.: water, thick forest/vegetation)
• In order to limit the impact of the “doming” effect on terrain geometry measurements, one of the most effective, yet easily implementable mechanisms is to measure a river line using Real Time Kinematic (RTK) Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) equipment. This data can then be used to correct the terrain post photogrammetry processing.
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Rapid modern technological advancements have led to significant improvements in river monitoring using unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), photogrammetric reconstruction software, and low-cost real-time kinematic Global Navigation Satellite System (RTK GNSS) equipment. UAVs allow for the collection of dry bathymetric data in environments that are difficult to access. Low-cost RTK GNSS equipment facilitates accurate measurement of wet bathymetry when combined with subaqueous measuring tools such as acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs). Hydraulic models may be constructed from these data, which in turn can be used for various applications such as water management, forecasting, early warning and disaster preparedness by responsible water authorities, and construction of river rating curves. We hypothesise that the reconstruction of dry terrain with UAV-based photogrammetry combined with RTK GNSS equipment leads to accurate geometries particularly fit for hydraulic understanding and simulation models. This study sought to (1) compare open-source and commercial photogrammetry packages to verify if water authorities with low resource availability have the option to utilise open-source packages without significant compromise on accuracy; (2) assess the impact of variations in the number of ground control points (GCPs) and the distribution of the GCP markers on the quality of digital elevation models (DEMs), with a particular emphasis on characteristics that impact hydraulics; and (3) investigate the impact of using reconstructions based on different GCP numbers on conveyance and hydraulic slope. A novel method which makes use of a simple RTK tie line along the water edge measured using a low-cost but highly accurate GNSS is presented so as to correct the unwanted effect of lens distortion (“doming effect”) and enable the concatenation of geometric data from different sources. Furthermore, we describe how merging of the dry and wet bathymetry can be achieved through gridding based on linear interpolation. We tested our approach over a section of the Luangwa River in Zambia. Results indicate that the open-source software photogrammetry package is capable of producing results that are comparable to commercially available options. We determined that GCPs are essential for vertical accuracy, but also that an increase in the number of GCPs above a limited number of five only moderately increases the accuracy of results, provided the GCPs are well spaced in both the horizontal and vertical dimension. Furthermore, insignificant differences in hydraulic geometries among the various cross sections are observed, corroborating the fact that a limited well-spaced set of GCPs is enough to establish a hydraulically sound reconstruction. However, it appeared necessary to make an additional observation of the hydraulic slope. A slope derived merely from the UAV survey was shown to be prone to considerable errors caused by lens distortion. Combination of the photogrammetry results with the RTK GNSS tie line was shown to be essential to correct the slope and made the reconstruction suitable for hydraulic model setup. ... Read more

Rapid advancements in technologies open up possibilities for water resource authorities to increase their ability to accurately, safely and efficiently establish river flow observation through remote and non-intrusive observation methods. Low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVS) in combination with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) can be used to collect geometrical information of the riverbed and floodplain. Such information, in combination with hydraulic modelling tools, can be used to establish physically based relationships between river flows and permanent proxy. This study proposes a framework for monitoring volatile, dangerous and difficult to access rivers using only affordable and easy to maintain new technologies. The framework consists of four main components: i) establishment of geometry using airborne photogrammetry and bathymetry; ii) physically based rating curve development through hydraulic modelling of surveyed river sections; iii) determination of non-intrusive observations with for instance simple cameras or satellite observations; and iv) evaluating the institutional and societal impacts of using new technology. To establish this framework, a number of research questions require addressing. First, the factors impacting on accuracy of geometrical information of the floodplain terrain and bathymetry need to be investigated. Second the accuracy of a physically based rating curve compared to a traditional rating curve needs to be established. Third, for rapidly changing river segments, it should be investigated if the collection of occasional snapshots of multiple proxies for flow can be used to assess the uncertainty of river flows. The study finally explores the social and institutional impact of using new technologies for remote river monitoring. If these research gaps are addressed, this may strengthen water manager's ability to observe flows and extend observation networks. ... Read more