Aspects of river flow measurement and hydrometric data interpretation in the United Kingdom—with particular reference to low flows

The heterogeneity of the United Kingdom in terms of its climate, geology, land use and patterns of water utilization has stimulated the growth of a relatively dense network of flow measurement stations. The character of UK rivers is such that particularly high standards of hydrometric data acquisition and archiving need to be maintained to ensure that the accuracy of computed flows is not jeopardized. In addition, careful documentation of the impact of artificial influences on flow regimes is essential to enable full and appropriate exploitation of archived flow data. This paper examines a number of aspects of how the singular nature of United Kingdom rivers affects use and utility of hydrometric data.