The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1936-04-23
Much Water
St0redInSnOW
In Mountains
Forest Service Makes Study
and Issues Report
on Measurements.
RANGES FROM "a TO
80 INCHES IN DEPTH

MlSCOO1A, April ZV.--An lnQiCdtloI
of the generous supply of reserve water
that is stored in the snow in Regior
One of the Forest Service is given in
the first reports on snow moisture con-
tents issued recently by the Northern
Rocky Mountain Forest AMI Range Ex-
perment Station.
Two measurements were taken at the
Priest River experimental forest in
northern Idaho. One, taken at an eleva-
ton of $500 feet above sea level on
February %, showed "a inches of snow
having water content to make layer
eight inches thick. The second measure
ment was taken March 4 at an eleva-
ton of 1900 feet, where 81 inches of
snow covered the ground, equivalent TO
layer of water q inches deep. The
moisture contents of the snow were "a
percent and SO percent, respectively.
Deception Creek experimental forest,
100 miles farther south in northern Ida
no, was the location for two series of
measurements on March "a and 81.
Sixty-three inches of snow at the g.
300-foot level contained "a inches of
water, and 81 inches of snow at the A.
6OO-foot elevation contained 38 inches
of water.
In western Montana, measurements
taken at 7,4O0-foot elevation OH Mt.
Stuart showed 80 inches of snow con-
tanning 3015 inches of water. On Look
out Pass, between Montana and north
ern Idaho, according to weather bureau
reports, the snow is 102 inches deep
with a moisture content Of d5 percent,
or little more than As inches Of water.
The measurements, it WAS said by
Lloyd Hayes, can be considered in
dicative of the moisture contents of
SHOWS at the various elevations in the
general territories In which they were
taken. Snow depths, Of course, vary.
While snow depths have been meas
ured at numerous points in Region One
for number of years, this is the first
time the Experiment Station has beer
equipped to determine water contents
readily. A hollow aluminium tube sew
eral feet long is used. Its weight is
known. The tube is pushed down
through the snow to the ground; when
it is removed it is full Of srow. It IS
then weighed on hand scale, on which
the graduations are expressed not in
! terms Of units of weight, but in inches
of voter content. Weight of snow varies
in direct proportion to its water
content.
The reserve water stored in Region
One is of much consequences not only
locally but also at the Fort Peck,
Grand Coulee and Bonneville dams.
Region One holds most of the head
waters S, pply for the Missouri and Col
umbia River drainages, upon which
large populations depend for their
water. BY slowly releasing the water
stored as snow, the forests not only
provide for the needs of many people.
hut they prevent costly soil erosion and
rcarkedly help to reduce property dam
age which would result from rapid and
uncontrolled run-off
Floods can occur even in densely
forested regions If heavy, warm rains
fab upon deep snow of high moisture
c0rtent. Exper'lene has proved. Low
yer. that the fetal run-off Is spread
out over a longer period in L forested
region and the peak of high water is
thereby reduced. The forest soil also
is more porous and consequently abb
serbs larger quantities Of water which
are released slowly in the form Of
springs and small creeks