Watershed Snowpack monitoring equipment:

 Watershed Snowpack monitoring equipment:

Snow Surveys: 

  • California is a state that relies on its snowpacks. During the winter time, the snowpacks are generated and stored on top of mountains. During the summer, they melt and go into  streams. These snowpacks are used to water agriculture plants, and to supply fresh water to the people of the state. 

  • Due to the type of climate that California has, there is a need for measuring the snowpacks. The measurements help farmers determine the types of crops they can grow, and helps the state determine if they have to put any regulations in place like in 2015. 

  • There are two different ways for measuring. Technological advancements have been created to measure snowpacks remotely, but manual snow surveys are still fundamental. Manual snow surveys involve collection of snow samples at 260 locations. 

SWE: Snow water equivalent
  • Determines the annual peak of surface water resource
  • forecasts stream and river flow
  • In one or more straight line transects, there are five to ten points of measurements
  • Most measured once per month during winter (accumulation)  and spring (ablation), some snowpacks can be measured at different frequencies. 
CCSS: California's Cooperative Snow Surveys Program
  • Established in 1929
  • Partnership of more than 50 state, federal and private agencies. 
  • The data that is collected by the people working for this program is instrumental for stakeholders such as the farmers, reservoir operators, utilities, etc. 
  • They have a website for people to go on allowing for data-sharing and collaboration. It helps with efficient water resource management and for California's supply forecasting.
   https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/
  • California is the only state to have its own program for snow surveys. Other states are federally funded which started in the 1930's. It is funded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
  • This program also forecasts California's snow bearing watersheds seasonal and water runoff for the year. It is then recorded in the Bulletin 120 website. 
https://cdec.water.ca.gov/snow/bulletin120/
SNOTEL:
  • 900 automated data collection sites used to collect and monitor snowpacks, precipitation, temperature, and climate conditions. The data is then sent to water and climate information systems. This is a database used to make water supply forecasts. The data is collected multipole times a day. Some sensors, depending on location, report hourly. 
  • SNOTEL also collects snow depth. The more advanced pieces of equipment can measure soil moisture and soil temperature at different depths, solar radiation, wind speed and humidity. 
  • The SNOTEL site is left to operate on its own without any maintenance for up to a year or more. Below is what a SNOTEL looks like. 

  • In more remote areas, aerial markers are used. They only have the basic sensors attached including temperature, and snow depth. They are then sent to the data website via Iridium Satellite System. 



SSWSF: Two Major Operations

  • Network of Data Collection Offices (DCOs)
    • Snow surveyors, water supply specialists, hydrologists and technicians who get the data. 
  • National Water and Climate Canter (NWCC) 
    • Analyzes data and administers information
Manual Snow Survey:
  • Equipment Needed
    • Snow Coring Tube Set: Extract core from entire depth of snow cover. It is then weighed to get SWE.
      • "Federal Sampler
      • McCall Sampler
      • Prairie Sampler 
    • Snow Core Cleaning Tool: breaks up snow cores frozen or stuck inside tube
    • Scale
    • Driving Wrench
    • Equipment Case
    • Thread Protectors
    • Scale Cradle
    • Spanning Wrench: used to disassemble tubes
    • Map
    • Measuring tape 
    • Tube Lubrication
    • Collapsible avalanche rescue probe
    • pencil or pen
    • Data recording sheets
    • Waterproof nylon sack for bulk sampling
    • calculator
    • cloth rag


Resources:
  • Automated Snow Monitoring. (2024). Natural Resources Conservation Services. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/aboutUs/monitoringPrograms/automatedSnowMonitoring/
  • California Cooperative Snow Survey Program. (2024). California Department of Natural Resources. https://snow.water.ca.gov/aboutccss
  • Forecasting Water and Snow. (2019). National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/snowpack.htm#:~:text=Measuring%20a%20Snow%20Course,all%2010%20measurements%20are%20complete.
  • How NASA, Lasers And New Technology Help Measure California’s Snowpack With Exceptional Accuracy. (2018). Capradio. https://www.capradio.org/articles/2018/03/08/how-nasa-lasers-and-new-technology-help-measure-californias-snowpack-with-exceptional-accuracy/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CWe%20basically%20measure%20snow%20courses,that%20heads%20toward%20Lake%20Tahoe.
  • Snow Sampling Equipment. (2024). Natural Resources Conservation Services. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/wcc/home/aboutUs/monitoringPrograms/snowSamplingEquipment#:~:text=Snow%20samplers%20consist%20of%20an,the%20other%20surveyor%20records%20data.
  • Snow Surveys. (2024). California Department of Water Resources. https://water.ca.gov/Programs/Flood-Management/Flood-Data/Snow-Surveys
  • Snow Survey and Water Forecasting Program. (2024). Natural Resources Conservation Services. https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs-initiatives/sswsf-snow-survey-and-water-supply-forecasting-program
  • Snow Survey Procedure Manual. (2014). The Resources Agency of California. https://cawaterlibrary.net/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/SnowSurveyProcedureManualv20141027.pdf

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