A snow course network for Alaska and the Rampart Project

Snow survey courses and snow depth marker network are reported to be in use at some 49 locations throughout various river basins in Alaska. The data are to be used primarily for flood control projects anticipated by the Corps of Engineers and power development by the Bureau of Reclamation. The State Department of Fish and Game and the Forest Service are cooperating in the establishment and maintenance of the courses and other hydrological data measuring stations. New problems in snow surveying are presented in the wide expanse of Alaskan wilderness, extreme cold, bad weather and poor visibility during the winter and spring months. The actual snow measurement of low density snow on frozen ground presents a problem of redesign of sampling equipment . A gradual expansion of the network is planned for the Rampart Dam project in cooperation with the Canadian Government.