Structural Composition and Functional Features of the Ecological Flow Monitoring System

       Ecological Flow Monitoring It is one of the key measures to ensure the ecological water‑use needs of downstream rivers. The ecological flow monitoring system leverages technologies such as the Internet of Things, geographic information systems, and hydraulic modeling. By conducting cross‑sectional monitoring of flow rates, water levels, precipitation, and video imagery for relevant ecological flows within the watershed, it establishes an online ecological‑flow monitoring framework. Through map‑based visual management, it integrates hydrological and water‑resource data across the basin, and employs digital tools to enhance watershed water‑management capabilities and accelerate emergency responses to ecological‑flow issues, thereby improving both the monitoring and remediation of ecological flows in the basin.

　　1. System Components

　　An ecological flow monitoring system typically consists of the following components:

　　(1) Collection:

　　Flow rate and water level data collection, image/video acquisition (via cameras), and precipitation measurement (using rain gauges).

　　(2) Transmission:

　　The telemetry terminal of the ecological flow monitoring system can transmit collected data and images to the monitoring center via 2G, 3G, or 4G, and, depending on site conditions, may also employ Beidou satellite communication terminals, ultra‑shortwave, or other communication methods.

　　(3) Power Supply:

　　Outdoors, prioritize solar panels and maintenance-free batteries; if grid power is available nearby, use both grid power and maintenance-free batteries for power supply.

　　2. System Functions

　　1) The sub-bureau uses a map to display the locations of surveillance points, enabling it to quickly access monitoring data and alarm information from all supervised sites within its jurisdiction.

2) All alarm events for all data are displayed in red, indicating that the water level has exceeded the threshold and reached a specific value.

　　3) Display current water level, alarm water level, danger water level, and other information graphically in the model.

　　4) The ecological flow monitoring system allows users to view real-time and historical data from monitoring stations, automatically aggregates annual, monthly, daily, and interval rainfall totals at each station, and presents the results in reports, charts, histograms, and other formats.

　　5) Supports access to high-definition cameras for video surveillance, enabling both individual monitoring and the review of recorded footage over a specified time period.

　　6) The ecological flow monitoring system provides comprehensive hydrological reports, monthly and annual reports, average values, as well as query and Excel export functionalities.

7) The data communication channel of the ecological flow monitoring system shall support two or more channel modes and accommodate multi‑center station transmission. The system’s central station shall be able to upload data to provincial and regional-level platforms.

　　3. Hardware Deployment

　　The hardware infrastructure primarily encompasses flow, rainfall, water level, and video‑image monitoring, with components added or removed as needed, to provide real-time data for ecological flow monitoring in the watershed.

　　4. Software Platform Development

　　 Ecological Flow Monitoring The early-warning platform is a highly intelligent decision-support system for ecological flow management in river basins, enabling centralized monitoring of basin‑wide flow rates, water levels, and precipitation dynamics. The software architecture displays the locations of ecological flow monitoring stations and key data on an electronic map, offers comprehensive flow‑statistics navigation and analytical tools, and supports real-time ecological water‑resource monitoring as well as emergency command and dispatch operations within the basin.