Description: The Acoustic Velocity Meter (AVM) is a hand-held instrument used for stream gauging. The AVM is generally used in shallow water, down to 0.2m and a velocity range of 0.001 to 4.5 m/s. The AVM is attached to a wading rod, where it is lowered and raised to different water level elevations to measure velocity within that column. This is done in increments at a cross section of the channel to produce a discharge calculation. The Acoustic Velocity Meter is accompanied with a handheld device that displays and/or logs the individual measurements. These measurements are then used in the calculation of discharge.
Costs USD Lower: $8,000
Costs USD Upper: $12,000
Accessories: Wading rod, handheld measurement device
Advantages: Does not have any moving parts that can cause errors if not maintained properly
Disadvantages: Relatively expensive compared to mechanical current meters.
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