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<br />Colorado Drouszht Watch <br /> <br />Page 6 <br /> <br />About SNOTEL <br /> <br />D"I1''''', /ik". ~"""."" <br />iN' If t ~.. :1 <br />iji..If'Jk~ m <br /> <br />The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) installs, operates, and maintains an extensive, auto- <br />mated system to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the Western United States called SNOTEL (for <br />SNOwpack TELemetry), The system evolved from NRCS's Congressional mandate in the mid-1930's "to meas- <br />ure snowpack in the mountains of the West and forecast the water supply." The programs began with manual <br />measurements of snow courses; since 1980, SNOTEL has reliably and efficiently collected the data needed to <br />produce water supply forecasts and to support the resour~e management activities of NRCS and others. <br /> <br />The sites are generally located in remote high-mountain watersheds where access is often difficult or restricted. <br />Access for maintenance by NRCS includes various modes from hiking and skiing to helicopters. <br /> <br />Sites are designed to operate unattended and without maintenance for a year, They are battery powered with <br />solar cell recharge, The condition of each site is monitored daily when it reports on 8 operational functions. Se- <br />rious problems or deteriorating performance trigger a resflonse from the NRCS electronic technicians located <br />in 6 Data Collection Offices, <br /> <br />For more information, contact the NRCS State Office <br /> <br />Drought and Moisture Indexes <br /> <br />. Surface Water Supply Index (SWSI) (pronounced swah ZEE) - is a weighted index of snow pack, stream <br />flow, precipitation and reservoir storage. ' <br /> <br />. Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI) - is considered to be the simplest and most robust index for describ- <br />ing drought patterns. SPI is based on current and historical Precipitation data for a particular location. <br /> <br />. Palmer Drought Index - is a complex soil moisture calculation used by federal agricultural agencies in de- <br />termining drought assistance to local farmers and ranchers, <br /> <br />. Crop Moisture Index, developed from the Palmer Drought Index, - evaluates short-term moisture conditions <br />across major crop producing regions of the U.s. <br /> <br />. Reservoir levels - indicates the amount of water in storage at various water supply reservoirs. <br /> <br />. <br />