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PARTICIPATION IN STREAM GAUGING WORKS
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Among 22 water related government agencies, several of them operate stream flow gauging works
according to their own purposes. In early 1949 the Hydrology Section was established in the Survey Division
of the Royal Irrigation Department. The Section is responsible for its activity in hydrology as prerequisite for
water resources development. The activity includes:
(1)
Procurement of basic hydrologic data including precipitation, stream flow, sediment, evaporation,
etc.
(2) Analyses and research to produce the facts governing the behavior of water, their occurrences,
circulation and distribution in its varied forms, their properties and their interaction with other allied factors.
(3) Application to water resources development and management, utilizing basic data and the facts
disclosed by analyses and research.
Just one year after the beginning of water storage work, in 1953 there were only 49 discharge stations
and 114 stage stations as operated by the Hydrology Section. In February 1975 the Section was separated
from the Survey Division and was raised the status to be the Hydrology Division of the Royal Irrigation
Department. The present network of stream gauging works contains 221 discharge stations of which 147 are
currently operated and 74 are previously calibrated with continuous stage observation while 145 were
abandoned, and 315 stage station are currently operated while 232 were abandoned.
After the onset of the Lower Mekong River Basin Development Scheme, the Hydrology Section was
also established in the Investigation and Planning Division of the National Energy Administration which is a
representative agency of Thai Government in the Lower Mekong Committee. During the period of November
1958 – Mary 1962, seven hydrologic stations were installed and operated by the Harza Engineering Company
contracted by the Agency for International Development of the united States Government. At present the NEA
operates about 90 discharge stations and 140 stage stations. A series of yearbooks has also been published.
The third agency which operates the stream gauging works is the Hydrometeorology Division of the
Meteorological Department. With the technical and financial support from the World Meteorological
Organization, this agency began the stream gauging works in 1967. Up till now, about 11 discharge stations
and 32 stage stations are under operation. The stream gauging data are also included in their yearbook.
The last agency which operates the stream gauging works for the planning purpose is the Electricity
Generating Authority of Thailand. They began to operate 15 discharge stations and 4 stage stations in 1971.
In addition, there are other agencies operating the stream gauging works for their own purposes such
as watershed management and conservation program of the Royal Forestry Department. The Port Authority of
Thailand carries on discharge measurement along the estuary of the Chao Phraya River for studying the
sedimentation in the vicinity of the service area.