Evaluating survey instruments and methods in a steep channel

•Interoperator variability in channel bed characterization is low.•Objectives and channel conditions determine appropriate survey and analysis methods.•Different methods of calculating slope produce different results.•The laser rangefinder can be an accurate tool for surveying channel beds.

Methods for surveying and analyzing channel bed topography commonly lack a rigorous characterization of their appropriateness for project objectives. We compare four survey methods: a hand level, two different methods of surveying with a laser rangefinder, and a real-time kinematic GNSS (RTK-GNSS) to explore their accuracy in determining channel bed slope and roughness for a study reach in a small, dry, steep channel. Additionally, we evaluate the variability among four operators for each survey technique. Two methods of calculating reach slope were computed: a regression on the channel profile and a calculation using only survey endpoints. Using data from the RTK-GNSS as our accuracy reference, the hand level and two-person laser rangefinder surveying systems performed with high accuracy (< 5% error in estimating slope, < 10% error in estimating roughness), while the one-person laser rangefinder survey system performed with considerably lower accuracy (up to 54% error in roughness and slope). Variability between operators was found to be very low (coefficients of variation ranged from 0.001 to 0.046) for all survey systems except the one-person laser rangefinder system, suggesting that survey data collected by different operators can be validly compared. Due to reach-scale concavity, calculating slope using a regression produced significantly different values than those obtained by using only survey endpoints, suggesting that caution must be taken in choosing the most appropriate method of calculating slope for a given project objective. We present recommendations for choosing appropriate survey and analysis methods to accomplish various surveying objectives.