Gravity waves due to discontinuity decay over an open-channel bottom drop

Experimental data are given on wave shapes and propagation speeds and characteristic headwater and tailwater depths after removal of a shield producing an initial free-surface level drop and located above a bottom drop in a rectangular open channel. Check is performed of self-similar solutions of the problem obtained earlier using a hydraulic approximation. It has been established that in certain ranges of time, longitudinal coordinate, and problem parameters, these solutions are supported by experimental results.