What should the flow meter read in an open channel with a width of 36" and a water depth of 30" at a flow rate of 2 feet per second?

To find the flow rate in million gallons per day (MGD) for an open channel based on the given parameters, we can use the formula for flow rate:

[ Q = A \times V ]

where ( Q ) is the flow rate in cubic feet per second (CFS), ( A ) is the cross-sectional area of flow, and ( V ) is the velocity of the water.

In this case, the width of the channel is 36 inches, which converts to feet as follows:

[ \text{Width} = 36 \text{ inches} = 3 \text{ feet} ]

The water depth is given as 30 inches:

[ \text{Depth} = 30 \text{ inches} = 2.5 \text{ feet} ]

Now, we can calculate the cross-sectional area ( A ):

[ A = \text{Width} \times \text{Depth} = 3 \text{ feet} \times 2.5 \text{ feet} = 7.5 \text{ square feet} ]

Next, using the flow velocity of 2 feet per second, we can now calculate the flow rate ( Q ):

[