A METHOD FOR ESTIMATING TIME AND WATER VELOCITY: CASE STUDY OF THE PIURA RIVER, PERU

The “El Niño” phenomenon periodically affects the Piura region in Peru, causing heavy rains that increase the flow of the Piura River and, in some cases, lead to overflows, as occurred in 2017. This event poses a latent risk to the inhabitants of the districts of Piura, Castilla, Catacaos, and Cura Mori. The objective of this study was to estimate the surface flow time and velocity in four segments of the Piura River. To achieve this, the float method was used, which consisted of measuring the time it takes for a floating object to move between established points. Measurements were taken at the Andrés Avelino Cáceres, Eguiguren, Sánchez Cerro, San Miguel, and Bolognesi bridges. The experimentation was limited to low-magnitude flow rates, in accordance with the hydrometeorological conditions present during the months of March in 2019 and 2021, which gives the results an estimated character. The findings indicate that as the flow rate (m³/s) increases, the travel time of the water masses decreases, and the surface velocity increases proportionally. For example, a flow rate of 422 m³/s was associated with a velocity of 1.14 m/s, meaning that the water takes approximately 28 minutes to travel across the four evaluated segments.