Economic value of snow surveying for the Los Angeles aqueduct

The benefits derived from snow surveys are often difficult to evaluate financially. The City of Los Angeles, Department of Water and Power, shows well planned operations by using snow survey data for reservoir regulation for municipal water supply from the Owens River aqueduct; for requirements of possible pumping operations for supplementary water needs, also for water-spreading operations to build up ground water supplies through irrigation on city owned lands leased to farmers along the upper reaches of the Owens River. Plans for lease rentals and crops to be planted are based on knowledge gained from snow survey data.