# Presentation: 749641

## NRCS Water Resource Information Systems

- Claudia C. Hoeft, P.E.
- National Hydraulic Engineer
- National Program Manager – Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program
- USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service
- Washington, DC
- _claudia.hoeft@wdc.usda.gov_

## Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program                                                                     

**Soil Climate Analysis Network**

*Altavista Soil*
*            *_[http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/features/gallery/altavista.html](http://www.mo15.nrcs.usda.gov/features/gallery/altavista.html)_

**Notes:**
I’m going to talk briefly today about the Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program as well as the Soil Climate Analysis Network.

It may seem odd to be talking about snow survey to a group of people from the southeastern United States, and here in Charleston where the maximum snowfall ever recorded was only about 7 inches!  However, NRCS has been able to leverage knowledge and technology obtained through the Snow Survey Program, in development of the Soil Climate Analysis Network (or SCAN), so a little background on the Snow Survey Program is appropriate.

## Purpose:
“...provides ... water supply forecasts... also provides public and scientific community with a data base...” 
CFR Title 7, part 612
Customers
Sovereign Nations
Federal Departments & Agencies
State and Local Agencies
NGOs

- “...provides ... water supply forecasts... also provides public and scientific community with a data base...”
*CFR Title 7, part 612*
**Customers**
- Sovereign Nations
- Federal Departments & Agencies
- State and Local Agencies
- NGOs

**Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program**

*Our products and services help people use, conserve, improve, and sustain our natural resources and environment.*

**Notes:**
The Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting Program was established by Congress in the 1930’s in order to provide agricultural water users and water managers forecasts of volumetric water supplies in order to manage efficient use of irrigation water in the western United States.  Additionally, the data collected in the development of those forecasts was to be made available to the public and the scientific community.

Snow Survey and Water Supply Forecasting was an outgrowth of a project originally started in the early 1900’s by Dr. James Church from the University of Nevada-Reno who was credited with performing the 1st snow surveys.  Dr. Church would climb Mt. Rose during the winter months in order to take snow measurements in an effort to develop estimates of water being delivered to Lake Tahoe from the snowpack.

The Snow Survey and Water Supply Program specifically cover the 12 western states of Washington Wyoming, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico and Alaska.  Approximately 80% of all water needs in these states are met through snowmelt runoff and it is vital to produce accurate forecasts.

Today, NRCS serves a diverse group of customers and the use of the forecasts and data has grown far beyond what was originally anticipated. Some of the customers NRCS now serves with this data includes:
Sovereign Nations
Canada, Mexico, Native American Nations
Technology exchange with China, Mongolia, Antarctica, Europe
Federal Departments & Agencies
Agriculture, Interior, Commerce, Defense, Energy, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, Bonneville Power Administration, Federal Water Masters
State and Local Agencies
Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Irrigation Districts
State and Interstate Organizations involved in: Drought Planning, Water Resources, Emergency Preparedness, Planning & Zoning, Forestry, Lands, Recreation and Tourism
Non-Governmental Entities
University Researchers, Natural Resource Management Businesses, Private Citizens, Agricultural and Forestry Industry Cooperators, Water Utilities, Limited Resource Farmers, Construction Contractors, Consulting Meteorologists, Hydrologists and Engineers
Educators and Schools, Energy and Power Generation Companies, Landscape Architects, Media, Recreational Interests and Transportation Companies

The data and all products developed by NRCS from the data are intended to help people use, conserve, improve and sustain our natural resources and environment.

## NRCS SNOTEL Network	

**Data collection**:
- Manual snow courses
- SNOw TELemtry (SNOTEL) sites

**Notes:**
Starting in January of each year, data is collected manually from 920 manual snow courses that are physically measured at the beginning of each month during the forecast season (from January through May).  By measuring snow depth and weight in a standard diameter sampler, snow survey personnel are able to directly determine the snow water content.

Starting in the mid 1970’s NRCS started collecting data using high elevation climate stations. Called the SNOw TELemtry (or SNOTEL) network, this is the highest elevation permanent climate network in the U.S.

Today NRCS operates around 730 automated data collection stations which measure solar radiation, relative humidity, wind direction and speed, air temperature, depth of snow and snow water equivalent.

SNOTEL uses meteor-burst communications technology to collect and communicate data in near-real-time.
VHF radio signals are reflected at a steep angle off the ever present band of ionized meteorites existing from about 50 to 75 miles above the earth. SNOTEL provides at least daily data, however most sites transmit data hourly.  Satellites are not involved; NRCS operates and controls the entire system.  The system can pick up signals from the most remote locations.

## Snow Survey and Water Supply products available via the world-wide-web (www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov)

**Notes:**
All of the manually collected data and all of the data collected through the SNOTEL network are made available to the public through the NRCS National Water and Climate Center web-site.

In 2005, there were approximately 16.1 million downloads of data or other information.  Web-site hits average well over a million per month.

Through the web-site, users have rapid access to data organized by data time and frequency of observation.  Since data is transmitted in real-time on an hourly basis, the data available is referred to a “near real time” data since there is typically a short delay between the time the data is read and when it is posted. 

Users can access all historical data, information about the sites, including sensor history, and view the data in tables or graphs by year or period of records.  Special reports available for specific sensors where users can compare current year data to previous year data. 

Additionally, NWCC has developed a daily WSF process that uses daily precipitation and snowpack information from SNOTEL sites to calibrate a statistical model for every day of the year.  Since an official Water Supply Forecast is only issued once a month and users often want to know the effects of prolonged dry periods or heavy rain or snow events, this tool enables them to view a trend analysis between the official forecast dates.

## Soil Climate Analysis Network

- 150 sites in 39 states
- Soil-climate monitoring
- Critical for drought monitoring

**Soil Climate Analysis Network (SCAN)**

**Notes:**
The Soil Climate Analysis Network (or SCAN) started in the early 1990s and has a Midwest and East focus and is one of the very few real-time soil moisture and soil temperature networks in the U.S.  NRCS has worked with manufacturers to perfect the technology.  Vital sensors installed on the network:
Soil moisture/temperature – 2, 4, 8, 20, 40 inch depths
Precipitation
Temperature
Wind speed/direction
Relative humidity
Solar radiation
Snow water equivalent and depth in appropriate regions.

For a limited area, provides ground truth for validation of soil moisture models or remote sensing values.

The typical installation has a small footprint.  All stations, on both the SNOTEL and the SCAN network are solar powered.

Transmits data using the same meteor-burst communications as SNOTEL.

## SCAN data and products developed using the data are via the world-wide-web (www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov)

**Notes:**
Just as the snow survey data are made available through the NRCS National Water and Climate Center web-site, so are the SCAN data made available.

## SCAN Data Plot

**Notes:**
Because SCAN stations contain soil moisture and temperature sensors at various depths,  (2, 4, 8, 20, 40 inch depths) SCAN data are useful tools for visualizing changes in the soil profile over time.  Additionally, the soil moisture/temperature data have application in drought monitoring and potentially in future drought prediction models.

The plot here shows changes in soil moisture by date for sensors at the 2, 4, 8, and 20 inch depths, in relation to the precipitation (the bar graph).  It is very evident how soil moisture levels change when rainfall events occur and interesting to note the differences in soil moisture at the various depths in relation one to another.

## New Products – Climate Maps

- Maps of snowpack, precipitation, temperature, etc..

- Oregon State University
- http://www.ocs.orst.edu/prism/

- Drought Monitor

**Notes:**
Through a long-term partnership with Oregon State University, to develop the PRISM technology ((Parameter-elevation Regressions on Independent Slopes Model) a variety of maps are produced utilizing SNOTEL, SCAN and other climate data , These maps, considered the benchmark climate maps for the United States show are developed for normal and monthlies of precipitation, temperature, dewpoint, and growing season length.  In addition, work continues on updating the plant hardiness map for the United States.

NRCS also works with the partner agencies involved in developing the weekly U.S. Drought Monitor through the Drought Mitigation Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln which tracks drought conditions throughout the United States.  SNOTEL data and SCAN data and the ability to develop maps using the PRISM technology are a vital piece of that puzzle.

## Water supply forecasting becoming increasingly important:
as issues regarding “ownership” of water continue to grow
as populations increase in concentrated areas and water must be transported greater distances

- as issues regarding “ownership” of water continue to grow
- as populations increase in concentrated areas and water must be transported greater distances

- Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the necessity of using water wisely.
- New tools will be needed to predict when and where drought will occur.

***Helping People Help the Land...***

**Notes:**
As suggested by the mission statement, NRCS is a natural resources agency specifically tasked with providing direct technical and financial assistance to help landowners with conservation efforts as they care for the land.  Addressing issues related to climate change and water supplies is very important to NRCS.

First of all, the importance of water supply forecasting to predict the amount of water that will be available and the management of that water will become increasingly important for several reasons including “ownership of water” and population growth and expansion of cities.

Consumers are becoming more and more aware of the necessity of using water wisely.  In the agricultural community we are seeing producers make the effort to schedule irrigation to meet crop needs as opposed to watering on a cyclical basis.  Some are making use of SCAN or other climate data in their local areas to aid them in determining whether or not to turn that sprinkler on.  I remember meeting with one producer who proudly reported that by reviewing the SCAN data regularly, he had applied only about 1/3 the amount of water in relation to previous years, and he was seeing higher crop yields.

Finally, we have the ability to track drought as it occurs and are getting better at it.  The future will be able to develop tools that will help predict when and where drought sill occur.  Development and calibration of such tools will require a substantial amount of historical data.

NRCS anticipates we will have a large role in addressing these and other issues.