DOI: 10.5066/p9doxmw3
title: Unoccupied Aerial System-mounted image velocimetry and Doppler velocity radar data for computation of river velocity and discharge collected at seven locations in Colorado in 2023 (ver. 2.0, February 2026)

description: A series of field measurements of surface water velocity derived from video and Doppler velocity radar collected by small unoccupied aircraft systems (sUAS) and portable sensors were collected at seven locations in Colorado, USA, during the summer of 2023. The measurements were utilized to compute surface velocity and discharge using the Probability Concept, Large-Scale Particle Image Velocimetry (LSPIV), and Space-Time Image Velocimetry (STIV) methods. This data release includes the original videos, radar spectra, and ancillary data necessary to produce the surface water velocity and streamflow results. Data are grouped into sections (child items) based on the data type and purpose:

Ancillary Scripts: this child item contains Microsoft Windows batch and Python script files that reproduce the processing steps used for specific files associated with image calibration, collating video metadata, and extraction of velocity data from associated hydroacousticdischarge measurements.
Calibration Images: this child item contains images with labeled ground control points and associated pixel coordinate locations for each dataset. The images are used to calibrate image velocimetry results into real-world units (meters, for example). The images also indicate the pixel positions corresponding to the location of the streamflow measurement cross-section used for each dataset.
Cross Section Geometry: this child item contains the bathymetry cross-sectional survey information for each dataset.
Discharge Measurements: this child item contains the raw acoustic Doppler velocity profiler (ADCP) and acoustic Doppler velocimeter (ADV) measurements collected by U.S. Geological Survey hydrographers at each site to validate image and Doppler radar velocimetry results.
Ground Control: this child item contains point correspondence information for each field site. The point real-world coordinates and their respective pixel locations are included.
Radar Spectra: this child item contains Doppler velocity radar spectra values for selected field sites.
Velocity and Discharge: this child item contains discharge measurements, channel area, surface velocities, and derived discharges using the entropy-based probability concept and four image velocimetry algorithms for each field site.
Videos: this child item contains the raw videos captured by sUAS for selected field sites.

Each field site is abbreviated in various files in this data release. File and folder names quickly identify which site a particular file or dataset represents. The following abbreviations are used:

ACS: Anthracite Creek at Somerset, Colorado, USA
BRA: Blue River below Dillon, Colorado, USA (collected in August 2023)
BRJ: Blue River below Dillon, Colorado, USA (collected in June 2023)
CRG: Colorado River below Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA
CRR: Colorado River above Roaring Fork River at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA
ERW: Eagle River below Milk Creek near Wolcott, Colorado, USA
MCA: Maroon Creek near Aspen, Colorado, USA
RFG: Roaring Fork at Glenwood Springs, Colorado, USA
The ERW and RFG sites contain radar spectra but not associated image velocimetry data, and the CRG site contains image velocimetry data but no associated radar spectra.

Version History Summary:
First Published: September 2024
Version 2.0: February 2026