Baker Creek Snow Courses by Fred Gender When snows of winter paint our landscape, the thoughts of many turn to winter fun and awe at the spectacular scenery. However, the recreational and aesthetic appeal of snow is only part of the story. Snowpack is the primary water source in the western United States. The mountain ranges of the West contain vast amounts of snowpack that supply 50 to 80 percent of the year's water supply. But, nature doesn't always provide us with a consistent and dependable supply of water to meet our growing needs. Reservoirs are constructed to help mitigate fluctuations from year to year but effective water management requires the knowledge gained by effective snowpack monitoring. Snow surveys are conducted at specific times of year in order to accurately describe the extent of the year's snowpack and determine its water content. Gathering this data requires specially trained people and unique equipment. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) directs the efforts of federal, state and private cooperative snow survey programs in order to keep pace with the ever increasing demands on limited water resources. Snow survey data is collected at 1,200 snow courses throughout the country several times a year. One method mixes modern technology and nature. Remote radiotelemetry sites bounce information off of the meteor belt some twenty-five miles above earth to a master station where the data is compiled and analyzed. The second method, manual surveys, is the one that is utilized at Great Basin National Park (GRBA). At designated snow course sites a two-person team measures the snow depth and water content of the snowpack. Great Basin National Park's team members are Rob Ewing and John Woodyard. They measure the snowpack from February to April at GRBA along a 1000 foot-long snow course in Baker Creek. Station #1 is at an elevation of 8,220 feet, #2 is at 9,200 feet and the #3 is at 9,520 feet. The team takes 5 to 20 measurements at regular intervals along the snow course using a lightweight graduated aluminum tube and a scale. The snow depth is determined when the tube is pushed into the snow to the ground. When the tube is removed the core of snow is weighed using a scale that reads directly in "inches of snow water equivalent." All measurements along a snow course are averaged and represent the snow course's snow water equivalent and depth. Snow measurements have been collected at the Baker Creek snow courses since 1942. The information obtained from the snow surveys is used by reservoir operators, irrigation districts, cities, wildlife and water managers for a wide variety of purposes. The information helps sectors of agriculture, industry, and recreation base their water management decisions on snow survey data, water supply forecasts, flood forecasts and drought risk assessments. Looking at snowpack data since 1986, when Great Basin National Park was established, the average snow water equivalent (SWE) is 10.7 inches. High snowpack years were 1986 (14.7"), 1993 (18.7") and 1995 (14.8"). Low snowpack years were 1989 (7.0"), 1991 (6.4") and 1999 (6.0"). How does 2002 look? Ten inches of snow water equivalent were measured along the Baker creek snowcourse, which is 93% of the 17-year average. However, the Nevada Water Supply Outlook from May 1, 2002 reports that snowpack conditions in Eastern Nevada are well below average, with snow water content 56% of the May 1 average and 53% of the snow water content of last year. For more information on this subject check out these internet sources: NRCS Snow Survey, water supply and drought monitoring, www.nhq.nrcs.usda.gov/ccs/snoserv.html NRCS National Water and Climate Center www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov Nevada Snow Survey Program www.nv.nrcs.usda.gov/snow.htm Utah Snow Survey Program www.ut.nrcs.usda.gov/snow.htm Midden Table of Contents