Estimación de las curvas de descarga en dos ríos al noroeste de la ciudad de Cuenca

Abstract

Rating curves establish a direct relationship between the water level of a channel section and the flow passing through it. The determination of a rating curve simplifies the processes of data collection and interpretation, facilitating flow prediction. This work focuses on the development of rating curves for two mountain rivers of comparable basins: Mazán A.J. Matadero and Culebrillas A.J. Matadero. For this, control sections were identified, and the measurement sections for each case were prepared. In accordance with field measurement methodology, 14 flow measurements were carried out in each channel using the "FlowTracker2 ADV" velocity and flow measurement equipment. Collected data was processed, and the linear regression fitted models were statistically validated by checking assumptions of normality, constant variance, and no autocorrelation of residuals. Additionally, at a referential level of what was expected in the field, the rating curve was determined under controlled conditions in a laboratory channel equipped with a 90° thin-walled triangular weir. The results suggest that for the Mazán A.J. Matadero and Culebrillas A.J. Matadero stations and for the triangular weir, 97.5%, 99.6%, and 99.76% of the observed transformed flow variability can be explained by a linear relationship between the transformed variables. To explain the differences between measured flows, based on a morphometric analysis of the two involved micro-basins, their specific flow rate was estimated and compared. Although the results show micro-basins with relatively similar morphometric characteristics, this did not help explaining the differences obtained in gauged flows.