[Acoustics] OSW Tech Memo 2005.04 - Release of WinRiver Software version 10.06 for Computing Streamflow from Acoustic Profiler Data

[Kevin Oberg]

In Reply Refer To:                                                March 16, 
2005
Mail Stop 415



OFFICE OF SURFACE WATER TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM 2005.04

SUBJECT:  Release of WinRiver Software version 10.06 for Computing 
Streamflow from Acoustic Profiler Data

The purpose of this memorandum is to announce the availability of WinRiver 
10.06 for collecting and processing data collected with RD Instruments 
(RDI) acoustic profilers (Broadband, Rio Grande, Workhorse, and 
others).  The WinRiver software was developed by RDI, in cooperation with 
the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), as a part of a Cooperative Research and 
Development Agreement (CRADA).  The use of WinRiver software by USGS 
offices was announced in Office of Surface Water (OSW) Technical 
Memorandums No. 2000.03, 2002.03, and 2003.04.

This release of WinRiver (10.06) fixes a problem in WinRiver 10.05 that 
resulted in WinRiver not being able to decode GPS data with some 
combinations of GPS receivers and laptops and does not involve major 
changes to the software.  Therefore, it is NOT necessary to reprocess 
discharge measurements made with 10.05.  Attachment A contains a list of 
changes made from WinRiver version 10.05 to version 10.06.

All USGS users who collect streamflow data using RDI ADCP's should upgrade 
to WinRiver 10.06.  The software is available for download from OSW 
Hydroacoustics pages at http://hydroacoustics.usgs.gov/software/.  Although 
WinRiver 10.06 has been available from the manufacturer for some time, the 
OSW has not released this memo until now due to reported problems in the 
use of GPS with WinRiver.   OSW has subsequently determined that these 
problems were not caused by the WinRiver software.

OSW Technical Memo 2003.04 
(http://hydroacoustics.usgs.gov/memos/OSW2003-04.pdf), which documented the 
release of WinRiver 10.05, contains policies that are still in force and 
should be followed when using WinRiver 10.06.  As a reminder, the following 
policies and guidance are restated from Technical Memo 2003.04.  (More 
detailed explanations of items 1 ­ 4 below  are available in OSW Technical 
Memo 2003.04.)

1.    OSW strongly recommends that users use the file-locking 
feature.  Proper use of this feature will help insure that (a) inadvertent 
changes are not made to the data after the streamflow record is finalized 
and (b) ADCP data files are not archived with possible inadvertent changes.

2.    Use of the Discharge Measurement Wizard (DMW) is mandatory for 
discharge measurements made in the basic streamflow data collection 
program.  Use of the wizard will help standardize measurement summaries and 
make reviewing measurements easier.  The ultimate goal is to import the 
measurement summary information into NWIS.

3.    Users should always use the Configuration Wizard (CW) rather than 
existing configuration files.  Each time a site is visited, the CW 
should  be used in order to insure that current site conditions are 
reflected in the measurement configuration.  If any user commands are used 
to override direct commands created by the configuration wizard, users must 
document the reason for their use in the measurement notes.  See OSW 
Technical Memo 2002.03 for details on the CW.

4.    With the implementation of new extrapolation techniques, OSW does not 
believe that there is any instance where a user should set the bottom 
extrapolation method to Constant.

For further information on use of the WinRiver, please refer to the Help 
menu and to the software release notes and documentation.  If you have any 
questions or comments about the policies and guidance in this memo, please 
contact Kevin Oberg (kaoberg at usgs.gov) or the OSW Hydroacoustics Work Group 
(hawg at simon.er.usgs.gov).






                                     /signed/
                                     Stephen F. Blanchard
                                     Chief, Office of Surface Water


(See attached file: Attachment_A.pdf)(See attached file: sw2005-04
Attachment A.pdf)

Distribution:     Data Chiefs
             Surface-Water Specialists
             Office of Surface Water
             HAWG



----------

Kevin Oberg
USGS - Office of Surface Water
Voice:  217.344.0037 extension 3004
Cell:   217.840.9739
http://hydroacoustics.usgs.gov/
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