Weather stations monitor rainfall and spring runoff in order to determine characteristics of major rivers and streams in the watersheds in the Umiat Road Corridor.
Hydrologic information is needed for evaluation, design, and management of public resources on the North Slope. Snow cover on the Arctic Slope of Alaska lasts up to nine months a year. Water contained in snowpack ensures that snowmelt is a major hydrological event each year. Peak discharge resulting from snowmelt is the primary runoff event for many rivers on the North Slope, particularly for the largest basins like the Colville, Sagavanirktok, and Kuparuk Rivers. Rivers flowing into the Beaufort Sea drain a large area that extends from the Brooks Range through the Northern Foothills and across the Coastal Plain before discharging into the Arctic Ocean. This project is building on the many years of research the Water and Environmental Research Center has conducted in the central North Slope.
Publications:
Derry J, Kane D, Lilly M, Toniolo H. 2009. Snow-Course Measurement Methods, North Slope, Alaska
Berezovskaya S, Derry J, Kane D, Gieck R, Lilly M. 2010. Snow Survey Data for the Central North Slope Watersheds: Spring 2009
Stuefer S, Youcha E, Homan J, Kane D, Gieck R. 2011. Snow Survey Data for the Central North Slope Watersheds: Spring 2011
