Monitor Groundwater Leaching
Use the Drain Gauge G2 to determine the volume of water and chemicals draining from the vadose zone into groundwater.
Identify Contamination
The one-and-a-half meter tall Drain Gauge is buried directly in the ground to measure flow rate in unsaturated soils and collect soil water samples for chemical analysis. Water samples can be collected easily through a surface port to analyze for chemicals, fertilizers, and other contaminants.
Measure Deep Percolation Accurately
One of the challenges with lysimeter measurements is that water tends to flow around receptacles buried in the ground. The drain gauge uses an ingenious duct and wick design to apply a constant tension and keep the flow rate within the gauge equivalent to the flow rate in the surrounding soil.
Made from Non-reactive Materials
The Drain Gauge is constructed from inert materials, so chemicals won't react with the tube, the sensors, or the collection reservoir.
Applications:
- Waste Landfill Sites. Used to identify drainage and monitor efficacy of cover systems.
- Food Processing Waste Sites. Maximizes applications by monitoring water drainage rates and water quality below the root zone.
- Environmental research. Measures percolation and recharge rates.
- Farming operations. Measures and informs irrigation during a cropping season.
- Golf Courses. Used to measure and control excess water applications and fertilizer loss.
Limits
- High water tables can flood measurement chambers, causing errors in drainage measurements
Specifications
Part number 40340
| Total Height: | 125.5 cm |
| Measurement Time: | 10 ms (milliseconds) |
| DCT Diameter: | 20 cm |
| Drainage Resolution: | ± 0.1 mm |
| Operating Temperature: | 0 to 50°C |
| Weight: | 10 kg (22 lbs.) |
| Compatible Dataloggers: | Em50 series, all CSI loggers |
| Volume per Siphon Event: | 31 cm3, ± 10%; corresponds to 1 mm of drainage |
| Wick Tube Length: | 1 m (3 ft) |
| Sample Collection Reservoir Volume | 150 mL |
| Output: |
mV, proportional to water level, scales with excitation voltage |
| Wick Material: | 60 cm inert fiberglass |
| Divergence Control Tube (DCT) Length: | 66 cm |
| Power Requirements: | 2.5 - 5 VDC @ 3 mA, for 10 ms |
| Construction Material: | Galvanized steel DCT, inert polyethylene wick and reservoir chamber |
| Warranty: | 1 year |
Comparisons
| Technique | Accuracy | Spatial scale | Installation/ Maintenance | Cost | Comments |
| Pan Lysimeter | Poor | Medium - Large | Low | $ | Flux divergence under unsaturated conditions |
| Static Tension (wick) Lysimeter (i.e. Drain Gauge) | Fair | Small - Medium | Low | $$ | Mid range accuracy, mid range cost |
| Controlled Tension Lysimeter | Excellent | Medium | High | $$$ | Minimal flux divergence/convergence issues; new turn-key systems with lower maintenance |
| Weighing Lysimeter | Best | Medium | High | $$$$$ | Quantify and manipulate hydrology |
Support
Software & Downloads
Manuals
Information Sheet
Request Support
Email: support@decagon.com
Phone: 800-755-2751 or
509-332-2756
Fax: 509-332-5158
Education
Virtual Seminar
- October 19, 2010: Virtual Seminar: Lysimetry Basics
- January 25, 2011: Virtual Seminar: Measurements and Models for Macropore Infiltration in Soil
- November 19, 2009: Virtual Seminar: Soil Water Drainage Measurement and Soil Water Sampling
- Virtual Seminar Index
- February 28, 2012: Virtual Seminar: Lysimetry Basics - Peering in to the Black Box