Monitoring and surveys

MNV offers a comprehensive range of monitoring and surveys include river gauging, flow monitoring, rainfall measurement, climate monitoring, environmental surveys, water quality monitoring, topographic and bathymetric surveys.

The monitoring equipment we use is robust, reliable and accurate enabling us to monitor conditions in remote and hostile environments. Our field maintenance team is very experience at working in mountain river systems, cold upland environments and hot lowlands. We have installed over 300 river gauging stations in Scotland, climate stations in Nepal, river flow and water quality stations in Kosovo and weather stations in Greenland.

We have experienced field surveyors enabling us to carry out physical surveys of rivers, catchments, development sites and environmental surveys of habitats, species, recreation and socio-economic effects. Surveys have been carried out in relation to hydro power design, environmental impact assessments, housing developments, road construction and forest management.

River gauging
The river gauging work undertaken by MNV Consulting follows British and European Standards for monitoring and calculating flow rates in open channels. We use integrated water level sensors with data loggers converting the stage values to flow after a rating equation has been developed for the site. Data can be stored on site or transmitted to a central data store where quality control and archiving is carried out.

Flow monitoring
Flow in open channels, pipes, culverts and drains is monitored by MNV using range of instrumentation. For open channel flow rate we use impellor, electromagnetic and ultrasonic type meters. The instrumentation is calibrated in the laboratory and standard measurment techniques are used.

Applecross gauging station

Rainfall
MNV uses a range of instruments for rainfall monitoring ranging from automatic tipping bucket rain gauges to manually read storage gauges.

Climate
MNV carries out climate monitoring using automatic weather stations including temperature, humidity, rain, wind, pressure and radiation. We also use more traditional instruments installed in screens for manual reading.

Kosovo climate station

Environmental surveys
Environmental surveys are undertaken usually as part of a wider development project, such as hydro power or wind power. We undertake baseline terrestrial and aquatic habitat surveys as well as more detailed surveys of species and populations. The range of surveys includes:

Aquatic habitat
Terestrial habitat
River morphology
Soil type and depth
Landscape character
Visual impacts
Vegetation
Bryophytes and lichen
Protected mammals
Breeding birds
Fish
Pearl Mussel
Noise
Recreation
Transport and access
Waste
Socio-economic

Water quaility
Water quality monitoring is undertaken by MNV including the use of automatic water quality sensors and spot samples. The automatic sensors can include pH, conductivity, temperature, turbidity and other parameters. The spot samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis to determine a wide range of chemical parameters.

Water quality monitoring station

Telemetry
Most of the automatic equipment we use can be linked to a GSM or PSTN telemetry system. This enables data to be downloaded remotely, the stations interrogated at any time and alarm systems connected to certain sensors.

Topographic surveys
MNV undertakes topographic surveys using traditional levels as well as total stations, for sites with tree cover, and satellite controlled systems for open sites.

Bathymetric surveys
Surveys are carried out of rivers, lakes, harbours and reservoirs using ultrasonic depth sensors linked to DGPS to give position over the water body. The equipment can be operated from a river banks or attached to a boat for larger lakes or reservoirs.

Applications:

River gauging: water resources assessments, hydropower development, catchment management, yield assessments.
Flow monitoring: flood monitoring, low flows, pipe flow, drainage assessments, abstraction compliance, compensation flow monitoring.
Rainfall: water resources, flood forecasting, catchment management, hydro potential, climate change.
Climate: climate change, catchment management, agriculture.
Environmental surveys: environmental impact assessments, catchment management, forest management, infrastructure developments.
Water quality: erosion, pollution control, drinking water, habitat assessment.
Telemetry: flood warnings, remote data gathering, alarm systems, hydro scheme operation.
Topographic surveys: river surveys, hydro scheme design, flood management.
Bathymetric surveys: river management, reservoir siltation, harbour dredging.