Resumen
This paper describes HYDRONET, a telemetry-based prototype of a streamflow monitoring network in the Greek territory, where such data are sparse. HYDRONET provides free and near-real-time online access to data. Instead of commercially available stations, in-house-designed and -built telemetric stations were installed, which reduced the equipment cost by approximately 50%. The labour of hydrometric campaigns was reduced by applying a new maximum-entropy method to estimate the discharge from surface velocity observations. Here, we describe these novelty elements succinctly. The potential of HYDRONET to provide civil protection services is exemplified by a flood warning demonstrator for Kalamata?s City Centre. The network?s operation, including the hydraulic criteria for monitoring site selection, the characteristics of the telemetric equipment, the operational monitoring and hydrometric procedures, and the specifics of data transmission, quality control, and storage are described in detail, along with experiences with problems encountered during this pilot phase.