Designs for suspended-load samplers based upon an experimental investigation of the disturbances caused by the instruments and analysis of sediment-laden flow

Abstract

Measurements of soil losses and the determination of the rate of silt transportation by streams have disclosed the need for more efficient apparatus for sampling the suspended load. This equipment is needed especially by the Soil Conservation Service for use when the fundamentals of sediment transportation are being studied or when reliable results are required. Since most of the equipment previously used produces disturbances that affect concentration measurements, more accurate samplers are necessary. Consequently, in this investigation of sampling equipment, experiments which give an indication of the absolute accuracy, rather than a comparison between instruments of unknown accuracy, are made the basis for the practical designs.