This Technical Report deals with the use of boat-mounted acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) for

determining flow in open channels without ice cover. It describes a number of methods of deploying ADCPs to

determine flow. Although, in some cases, these measurements are intended to determine the stage-discharge

relationship of a gauging station, this Technical Report deals only with single determination of discharge.

The term ADCP has been adopted as a generic term for a technology that is manufactured by various

companies worldwide. They are also called acoustic Doppler velocity profilers (ADVPs) or acoustic Doppler

profilers (ADPs). ADCPs can be used to measure a variety of parameters, such as current or stream flow, water

velocity fields, channel bathymetry and estimation of sediment concentration from acoustic backscatter. This

Technical Report is generic in form and contains no operational details specific to particular ADCP makes and

models. Accordingly, to use this document effectively, it is essential that users are familiar with the terminology

and functions of their own ADCP equipment.