Learning from watching snowmelt

TitleLearning from watching snowmelt
Publication TypeConference Proceedings
Year of Conference1990
AuthorsFrazier, J. W., and Brandow C. A.
Conference Name58th Annual Western Snow Conference
Series TitleProceedings of the 58th Annual Western Snow Conference
Date PublishedApril 1990
PublisherWestern Snow Conference
Conference LocationSacramento, California
KeywordsBed load movement, Ice flow, Oversnow flow, Rain-on-snow, Snowmelt observations, Stream morphology, Subalpine meadows
Abstract

The WRENSS handbook contains a hydrologic procedure for estimating increased water yield from silvicultural treatments. The difference in annual evapotranspiration for a forested watershed under harvested and unharvested conditions approximates the annual water yield increase. Annual water yield inreases predicted by WRENSS require area precipitation and general forest stand characteristics. However, forest stand characteristics had little effect on predicted water yields. Annual water yield estimates were only as accurate as the basin wide precipitation data. The WRENSS predicted water yield increases were accurate for the snow dominated region. Potential model upgrades include improved estimates of snow vaporization, evapotranspiration rates, indexed precipitation or orographic functions, and assessment of streamfow generation processes from alpine areas for water yield increases in alpine-subalpine basins.

URLsites/westernsnowconference.org/PDFs/1990Frazier.pdf