> ![](media/image1.png){width="5.247916666666667in"
> height="0.4618055555555556in"}

USDA Service Center ▪ 1601 E. Front St., Suite C ▪ Port Angeles, WA
98362 ▪ 360-452-8994

> June 6, 2007
>
> Mr. E. Lucien Cox, Jr.\
> Crosscutting Solutions Program Manager\
> Applied Sciences Program, DK000\
> Science Mission Directorate\
> NASA Headquarters\
> 300 E Street SW
>
> Washington, DC 20546
>
> Dear Lucien:
>
> Re: Cooperative Agreement NNA06CN06A
>
> 6-Month Mid Year Progress Report
>
> Enclosed is our subject Progress Report including all project
> activities, milestones and performance measures met. Also enclosed are
> a separate SNOTEL Report and an Activity Report from Peninsula
> College.
>
> These documents are being submitted via email as required in the
> Cooperative Agreement requirements. Should you desire a signed copy
> sent via regular mail, please so indicate to Patti Morris, our Grant
> Administrator at pmorris@wavecable.com.
>
> On behalf of our entire team, we sincerely appreciate the opportunity
> to work with such outstanding individuals at NASA. We believe great
> ideas and solutions will be generated throughout this Cooperative
> Agreement with NASA. As presentations have been made to various
> organizations, the excitement grows within those organizations that
> also see viable solutions generated from discussion and ideas.
>
> We look forward to a successful three years working with your NASA
> team.
>
> Sincerely,
>
> Mike Doherty
>
> Mike Doherty, PI
>
> Enclosures
>
> Cc: Ms. Jennifer Dungan 
>
> Technical Officer -- MS242-4  
>
>     \|  NASA Ames Research Center\
> Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000
>
> Patti Morris, Grant Administrator

**NASA Solutions Network Project (NOPSN)**

**PROGRESS REPORT FOR JUNE 2007**

What follows is a discussion of progress on funded tasks for Year 1 of
the North Olympic Peninsula Solutions Network. Although the project
award was announced on September 31, 2006, significant work did not
occur until January 2007 when subcontracts were placed with the key team
members; Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Idaho National
Laboratory, Peninsula College, and Clallam County. As such, our
timelines, schedules, activities, and deliverables presented in Figure 1
and Table 1 reflect a time period of January 2007 to December 2007.

**TASK 1: SOLUTIONS NETWORK COORDINATION**

Solutions Network coordination will occur throughout the project. During
Year 1, coordination activities have been principally focused on the
establishing a working collaboration with the Dungeness River Management
Team, our principle User group, to support Researchers in the
development of the Hybrid hydrological model. The result of this effort
was the development of a draft and final Technical Specifications
document describing how the Hybrid hydrological model will meet DRMT
user needs. The final Technical Specifications document provided an
overview of the current DST employed by NRCS-National Water and Climate
Center, and the improvements that will be provided by the Hybrid
hydrological model using NASA MODIS sensor data. The report also
summarizes whether the stated DRMT needs can be met by NOPSN under the
existing project, require additional investigations of NASA technology,
or are best met through other environmental programs. The draft
Technical Specifications document was submitted for DRMT review in
February 2007 the final document was provided in March 2007, and is
included as Attachment 1.

The NOPSN has also coordinated a variety of internal meetings and
workshops to ensure each member of the team understands their roles and
responsibilities, and a series of meetings with Federal, State, and
local resource management groups, local environmental groups, and
members of the public to describe the approach and goals of the NOPSN.
NOPSN team members have also presented this Project at workshops
sponsored by the Elwha Research Consortium (ERC) and the Elwha Nearshore
Consortium. Attendance at these presentations has increased our
visibility with Consortium members, as well as members of various
Federal agencies and the public, and allowed us to interact with a
variety of scientists, local regulatory decision-makers, tribal
representatives, and other entities and individuals that are conducting
environmental investigations prior to the removal of the two Elwha River
dams. We have presented an overview of the project to the local Audubon
chapter and the Clallam County Commissioners and their staff. We are
also working collaboratively with Streamkeepers, a nonprofit
environmental group on the North Olympic Peninsula. The result of these
presentations has been an increased awareness of the NASA program on the
North Olympic Peninsula and a growing sense of collaboration and
partnerships with stakeholders that is essential to idea generation.

Members of the NOPSN Team also participated in the first NASA Solutions
Network workshop held in Adelphi, Maryland on April 12 & 13, 2007.
Attending for the NOP RC&D Council were Council President and Principal
Investigator Mike Doherty; Jeff Ward and Mark Wigmosta, both with the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Jerry Sehlke, Idaho National
Laboratory; Andy Gordon, National Association of RC&D Councils; and Tony
Ingersoll, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. This workshop
provided us with a clearer picture of NASA's expectations, allowed us to
better understand the approach and scope of NASA researchers, and
enabled us to establish a collaborative relationship with WaterNet, the
other funded NASA Solutions Network. The NASA meeting also offered us
the opportunity to meet with and discuss our project with Team Member
Andy Gordon from NARC&DC, which is headquartered in Washington, DC.

**TASK 2: HYBRID MODEL DEVELOPMENT IN THE DUNGENESS WATERSHED**

Under Task 2, the NOPSN team will adapt and enhance an existing
hydrological model to utilize NASA MODIS data in a new and innovative
way, and also investigate the integration of other NASA technologies.
The resulting Hybrid model will improve stream flow forecasts on the
Dungeness River and demonstrate how NASA tools and technologies can be
used to improve an existing decision support system. A Solutions Network
Formulation Report will be developed and submitted to the SN Hub website
on this Task. Task 2 is divided into six subtasks, which are discussed
below:

**Task 2.1: Hybrid Model Application Framework**

The NOPSN project team has completed the initial application framework
for the Hybrid hydrological model, including development of digital
elevation maps for both the Dungeness and Elwha watersheds, and the
creation of the computation linkages needed to incorporate NASA MODIS
data into the existing hydrological model.

**Task 2.2: Feasibility of MODFLOW Linkage**

The project team has completed initial consultations with the DRMT to
determine whether it is feasible to link the Hybrid model to the
existing groundwater model (MODFLOW) used in the Dungeness watershed.
The initial consultations suggest that it may be possible to link the
Hybrid model results to MODFLOW by providing recharge estimates at the
southern model boundary. Additional evaluations of the model-to-model
linkages will be conducted when the Hybrid model is fully functional
later this year.

**Task 2.3: Preparation of MODIS Snow Cover Data**

The project team is currently processing the MODIS multi-spectral data
and snow occurrence maps for the Dungeness and Elwha Basins using the
methodology developed under for the Pacific NorthWest Regional
Collaboratory (PNWRC) project. A preliminary MODIS data set is now ready
for use and will be integrated into the Hybrid model later this summer.
After initial model runs and calibration, weekly MODIS data will be
processed and used to update they Hybrid model to provide daily and
weekly stream flow forecasts for the Dungeness.

Associated with snow cover data is the planning and installation of the
new SNOw TELemitry (SNOTEL) automated snow predicition station as part
of this Project (see attachment 2). Our Project partners, the USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Olympic National Park
(ONP), have held numerous meetings to plan and site this critical
sensor. Presently there are no high-elevation snow measurements in the
Olympic Mountains, leaving a huge data gap for validating weather data
and the snow's water equivalent of the MODIS snow occurrence. Since the
new station is planned for placement within the Olympic National Park's
Wilderness Area, an Environmental Assessment (EA) is required. This
process has already begun with a public announcement in the local media
and a request for comments. ONP has received all comments and compiled
them for incorporation into the final EA report, which is presently
being written. ONP will also be providing an archeology review of the
site. A site for this new SNOTEL station was recently selected by NRCS,
via helicopter reconnaissance, working in collaboration with ONP staff.
The goal is to complete the EA by August 2007 and begin installation of
the new SNOTEL station by 9/1/07. It takes about two weeks to install
the SNOTEL sensors, via helicopter, so this leaves a short installation
window prior to winter snows in the high elevations.

**Task 2.4: Hybrid Model Evaluation**

The Hybrid Model will be evaluated using recent daily stream flow data
from USGS gage 12048000 located on the Dungeness River near Sequim, WA.
This gage has a drainage area of 156 mi^2^ and has been in continuous
operation from June 1937 with no significant regulation or diversion
upstream from it. Model evaluation began in April 2007 and will continue
during the Summer and Fall of 2007. We will also continue the evaluation
process in Year 2 to determine how well the Hybrid model results compare
to NRCS predictions, and also to the USGS gage on the Dungeness.

**Task 2.5: Hybrid-MODFLOW Model Evaluation**

Investigations into the feasibility for linking the Hybrid hydrological
model to MODFLOW have occurred as part of Task 2.1. These investigations
will continue in Task 2.5 as the Hybrid model is brought online and
calibrated. The ultimate goal is to use the Hybrid model to improve the
predictive power of another decision support tool used in the Dungeness
watershed: the MODFLOW groundwater model which is currently used by
resource agencies on the North Olympic Peninsula to evaluate existing
groundwater resources and investigate the impacts of increased water
needs in response to population growth or changes in water utilization.
Thus, the initial discussion with local resource agencies conducted in
February and March 2007, will continue as the Hybrid model becomes
functional.

**Task 2.6: Ensemble Stream Flow Forecasts**

Under Task 2.6, computational methods will be developed to generate
ensemble stream flow forecasts using the Hybrid Model. Uncertainty in
forecasts will be addressed explicitly during generation of ensembles of
stream flow forecasts using process models that are driven by
predictions of possible future meteorological conditions. Available
meteorological data from past observed water years will be used by the
Hybrid Model from the known historical state of the hydrological system
and assuming that any water years' meteorological sequence from this
known state is one of several equally possible realizations of future
meteorology within the watershed. The predicted stream flow
corresponding to each such meteorological realization then constitutes
one member of the stream flow ensemble. The application will be
evaluated using a retrospective analysis with historical stream flow and
meteorological data. Work on this task is expected to occur in December
2007, and continue into Year 2.

### **Task 3: Elwha Evaluation**

As described in Task 1, the NOPSN team has began discussions with
researchers, resource agency personnel, and other individuals to
understand the current and pending research activities in the Elwha
River water prior to the removal of two dams. These collaborations will
continue into Year 2, and result in the development of a series of
Formulation Reports that describe how NASA tools and technologies can be
used to improve existing decision support systems or tools, and augment
scientific research. Initial evaluations have included attendance at
technical workshops, and discussions with researchers, resource
managers, and tribal representatives. The initial discussion suggests
that stream flow forecasting, sediment transport, oil spill spread and
toxicity, septic field leakage, and nearshore impact assessment are
areas where NASA technology can be considered. It is likely that
additional applications of existing or emerging NASA products will
emerge and will be captured as Formulation Reports.

**TASK 8: PROJECT MANAGEMENT**

Project management activities have included subcontract development and
implementation with the project team members, development of a project
technical work plan, budget and milestone tracking, coordination of
biweekly team conference calls and internal workshops.

**OTHER ACTIVITIES**

At the request of NASA, the NOPSN team has begun to evaluate the
feasibility of using other NASA tools and technologies to support work
in the Dungeness watershed (Task 6), and begun preliminary transition
and dissemination activities associated with the development of the
Peninsula College Operations Center, and interactions with other
potential local, regional, and national User groups (Task 7). These
tasks were unfunded in Year 1, and were partially supported under Tasks
1 and 8. Funding for these tasks will be included in our Year 2 budget.
We have also participated in a the first Solutions Network workshop held
in Maryland at the request of NASA as part of our yearly program review,
and established a collaborative relationship with WaterNet, the other
funded Solutions Network.

![](media/image2.wmf){width="5.997222222222222in"
height="1.8402777777777777in"}1. Subcontract placement delayed work
approximately three months, as reflected in the above timeline

**Figure 1.** Timeline for Year 1 Tasks^1^

**Table 1**. Year 1 Activities and Deliverables

+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| ** | **Description** | **Activity or          | **Status**          |
| Ta |                 | Deliverable**          |                     |
| sk |                 |                        |                     |
| ** |                 |                        |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 1  | Coordination of | Final Technical        | **Completed** March |
|    | Network         | Specifications         | 2007.               |
|    |                 | Document for Dungeness |                     |
|    |                 | Hybrid Model.          |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 1  | NASA Solutions  | Initial program review | **Completed** April |
|    | Network         | and opportunity to     | 2007.               |
|    | Workshop        | discuss NOPSN program  |                     |
|    |                 | with NASA and funded   |                     |
|    |                 | researchers.           |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 1  | Coordination of | Discussions with the   | **Ongoing**.        |
|    | Network         | DRMT, Elwha            |                     |
|    |                 | researchers, local     |                     |
|    |                 | groups and             |                     |
|    |                 | stakeholders, and the  |                     |
|    |                 | National Association   |                     |
|    |                 | of RC&Ds.              |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | Hybrid Model    | DEM development and    | **Completed** March |
| .1 |                 | initial model          | 2007.               |
|    | Application     | configuration.         |                     |
|    | Framework       |                        |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | Evaluate        | Discussions with DRMT  | **On Schedule**     |
| .2 | Hybrid-MODFLOW  | concerning linkage of  |                     |
|    | Linkage         | Hybrid model to        | Initial discussions |
|    |                 | MODFLOW.               | completed March     |
|    |                 |                        | 2007.               |
|    |                 |                        |                     |
|    |                 |                        | Follow-on           |
|    |                 |                        | discussions         |
|    |                 |                        | scheduled later in  |
|    |                 |                        | Year 1.             |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | MODIS Snowcover | Process MODIS          | **On Schedule**     |
| .3 | Data            | Snowcover data and     |                     |
|    |                 | integrate with Hybrid  | Initial processing  |
|    |                 | Model.                 | completed in March  |
|    |                 |                        | 2007. Additional    |
|    |                 |                        | processing will     |
|    |                 |                        | continue throughout |
|    |                 |                        | project.            |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | Hybrid Model    | Calibration and        | **On Schedule**     |
| .4 | Evaluation      | validation of model    |                     |
|    |                 | results with Dungeness | Initial             |
|    |                 | gage.                  | calibrations        |
|    |                 |                        | occurring from      |
|    |                 |                        | April to December   |
|    |                 |                        | 2007, with final    |
|    |                 |                        | calibrations in     |
|    |                 |                        | early 2008.         |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | Hybrid-MODFLOW  | If possible, linkage   | **On Schedule**     |
| .5 | Linkage         | of Hybrid model with   |                     |
|    |                 | MODFLOW groundwater    | Initial discussions |
|    |                 | model                  | in February-March   |
|    |                 |                        | 2007; additional    |
|    |                 |                        | discussions and     |
|    |                 |                        | potential linkage   |
|    |                 |                        | by December, 2007   |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 2  | Ensemble        | Streamflow forecasting | **On Schedule**     |
| .6 | Forecasts       | using Hybrid model and |                     |
|    |                 | MODIS data             | Initial model runs  |
|    |                 |                        | in December 2007;   |
|    |                 |                        | additional runs in  |
|    |                 |                        | Year 2.             |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 3  | Elwha           | Discussions with Elwha | **On Schedule**     |
|    | Evaluation      | research groups to     |                     |
|    |                 | determine needs.       | Initial discussions |
|    |                 |                        | in February, March, |
|    |                 |                        | and May 2007.       |
|    |                 |                        | Additional          |
|    |                 |                        | discussions later   |
|    |                 |                        | in Year 1, and      |
|    |                 |                        | Formulation Report  |
|    |                 |                        | development in Year |
|    |                 |                        | 2.                  |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 6  | Evaluate other  | Determine whether      | **Not Currently     |
|    | NASA            | other NASA tools and   | Funded**;           |
|    | applications    | technologies can be    | activities expected |
|    |                 | used in the NOP study  | to occur in         |
|    |                 | area                   | November-December   |
|    |                 |                        | 2007.               |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 7  | Transition and  | Transition of Hybrid   | **Not Currently     |
|    | Dissemination   | model to Peninsula     | Funded**;           |
|    |                 | College Operations     | activities expected |
|    |                 | Center; disseminate    | to occur in         |
|    |                 | study results to other | November-December   |
|    |                 | potential User groups  | 2007                |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+
| 8  | Management and  | Project management,    | **Ongoing**.        |
|    | Reporting       | budget tracking,       |                     |
|    |                 | meetings and           |                     |
|    |                 | reporting.             |                     |
+----+-----------------+------------------------+---------------------+