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Snowpack and Water Supply
Author(s) -
Horn William L.
Publication year - 1968
Publication title -
journal ‐ american water works association
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.466
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1551-8833
pISSN - 0003-150X
DOI - 10.1002/j.1551-8833.1968.tb03689.x
Subject(s) - snowpack , snow , environmental science , recreation , water year , streamflow , snowmelt , hydrology (agriculture) , meteorology , drainage basin , geography , engineering , cartography , geotechnical engineering , political science , law
This article discusses a program of data collection, forecasting, and publishing called the California Cooperative Snow Survey. There are 41 agencies, private and public, that contribute either data or funds to the program. These agencies over the years have identified and maintained over 300 snow courses throughout the mountainous areas of the state at all elevations. From the surveys that are made monthly, forecasts of the flow from 19 major stream basins are prepared from February through May of each year. The forecasts are of spring and summer runoffs, and accuracy is dependent on weather conditions that follow the date of the forecast. During each forecast period, 54 individual forecasts are prepared and a report published. This bulletin is released on the tenth of each month, February through May, and in critical years a bulletin may be published in June. Each fall a report is also released that summarizes state water conditions, after the summer season and before the advent of the new water crop. In addition to water using agencies that need the bulletin for operational purposes, the news media find the report of great public interest. The article also discusses snow survey equipment and methods, snow tubes, river terminal, water recreational uses, and snow pillow.