usda nrcs snow surveys update - california water supply specialist jeff anderson nevada water supply...
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Greg Norris California State Engineer
and Water Supply Specialist
Jeff Anderson Nevada Water Supply Specialist
Ward Creek #2 snow course, Elev. 7,100ft Lake Tahoe Basin, Established 1913 Photo Credit: UNR Archive
USDA NRCS Snow Surveys Update California - DWR Annual Cooperative Snow Survey Meeting November 1-3, 2016
Scientist: Father of Snow Surveying
World Traveler: Established snow survey programs in Himalaya and Andes in 1947 at age 78
Classics Professor University of Nevada, Reno
Taught: German, Latin, Literature, Art History
Helped establish Nevada Art Museum
Dr. James E. Church
1869-1959
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1913 measurement
at original Mt Rose
Snow Course at 153 points!
Early Lake Tahoe Snow Surveys were accomplished by boat Using the cabin cruiser named Mt. Rose and smaller boat called Skidoo.
Snow survey camp on shore of Lake Tahoe. Ph
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Church owned a circular, tree house at Lake Tahoe. Caption on image: Tree House, Lake Tahoe, owned by James E. Church. Photos: taken 1941 and 1955
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NRCS Data Collection
Snow Courses (14 measured in CA)
SNOTEL and SCAN Stations
West-wide in including Alaska the NRCS has ~860
SNOTEL stations
37 SNOTELS in Sierra Nevada
and NE California
SNOTEL and Snow Course Data Questions? Melissa Webb Portland, Oregon 503-414-3270 [email protected] Jeff Anderson Reno, Nevada 775-857-8500 x152 [email protected]
Other questions including: streamflow forecasts, climate information, water supply products, etc… Greg Norris California State Engineer and Water Supply Specialist Davis, California [email protected] 530-792-5609 Jolyne Lea Forecast Hydrologist NRCS National Water & Climate Center Portland, OR [email protected] 503-414-3040
2017 Field Highlights Independence Camp SNOTEL Rebuild
~100ft ~15ft
Shortening plumbing line, cut diurnal bounce on hourly precipitation gage data from ~1.5in to ~0.5in.
Fredonyer Peak SNOTEL Update New SNOTEL site north of Susanville
Currently Permitted and Funded. Installation may occur in November or next summer.
Location: Directly east of Eagle Lake and ~19 miles north of Susanville BLM is funding site for resource management related to endemic Eagle Lake Rainbow Trout and climate change monitoring.
Fredonyer Peak SNOTEL site (in relation to other DWR monitoring stations)
NWCC News - Interactive Map http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/webmap/help/index.html
Interactive Map Access to Data and Products
All the DWR automated and manual snow sites were added to NRCS Interactive Map.
Interactive Data Map
Sidebar controls how data is displayed on map
Legend title defines selection
Map Controls
Streamflow / Prec
SWE
New Map Features – coming soon
• New functions: • Delta, Snow Density, Water Year Peak
• Basin calculations based on HUCs • Data analysis can be exported to .CSV
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Example of Station and Basin Data
Display
Cumulative Drought Deficit
SCAN Sites (Soil Climate Analysis Network)
15 stations in California.
PRISM – Precipitation for the start of 2017 water year. Precipitation Products supported by the NRCS.
http://www.prism.oregonstate.edu/
Avalanche Safety
Winter Survival
Winter travel
Snow Measurement
NRCS WESTWIDE COOPERATIVE SNOW SURVEY
TRAINING SCHOOL
Wilderness 1st Aid
NRCS 2017 West-wide Snow Survey Training School
January 8 - 13, 2017 Bend, Oregon
More information is at: http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/snowschool/index.htm
Copies of the invitation letter are available. See Greg or the CA-DWR folks for more info.
Tahoe City, CA January 2015