We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.

logo
  • Engineers & Specifiers
  • Contractors & Installers
  • Wholesalers & Distributors
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Free Subscription
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
  • PRODUCTS
    • Bath & Kitchen
    • Fire Protection
    • HVAC
    • Hydronics/Radiant
    • Plumbing
    • PVF
    • Tools
  • PROJECTS
    • Commercial
    • Green Building
    • MRO/Retrofit
    • Remodeling
    • Residential
  • HOW TO
    • Design
    • Fire Protection
    • Legal Matters
    • Management
  • BUSINESS
    • Buying Groups
    • Technology
    • Associations
  • CODES & STANDARDS
    • ANSI
    • ASHRAE
    • ASSE
    • Regulations
    • Green Building
    • IAPMO
    • ICC
    • NFPA
  • RESOURCES
    • Media Kit
    • Advertise
    • Contact Us
    • Classifieds
    • Digital Editions
    • Behind the Wall
    • Webinars
    • AHR Live 2023
  • PODCASTS
  • DIGITAL EDITIONS
Home » UCLA report says Sierra Nevada snowpack not likely to recover until 2019

UCLA report says Sierra Nevada snowpack not likely to recover until 2019

June 23, 2016
No Comments

Even with this winter's strong El Niño, the Sierra Nevada snowpack will likely take until 2019 to return to pre-drought levels, according to a new analysis led by UCLA hydrology researchers.

Much of California's water comes from the when the Sierra Nevada snowpack melts. The winter of 2015 capped four consecutive years of drought that resulted in the largest cumulative drought deficit spanning the 65 years that have been examined. The water volume of the snowpack in 2015 was just 2.9 cubic kilometers, when a typical year is about 18.6 cubic kilometers.

Additionally, they suggest their new method, which provided unprecedented detail and precision, could be useful in characterizing water in the snowpack in other mountains, including ranges in western North America, the Andes or the Himalayas. These areas currently have much less on-site monitoring than in the Sierra Nevada.

The study was published online today in The American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"With the consecutive years of ongoing drought, the Sierra Nevada snowpack's total water volume is in deficit and our analysis shows it will to take a few years for a complete recovery, even if there are above-average precipitation years," said the study's principal investigator, Steve Margulis, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the UCLA Henry Samueli School of Engineering and Applied Science.

"It is critical for regions like California, that rely on their regional snowpack for water supply, to understand the dynamics of the system," Margulis said. "Our new tool could help not just California, but other regions, gain insight about their regional snowpack."

The researchers created a dataset covering 31 years (from 1985 to 2015), using measurements from NASA Landsat satellites, which provide daily maps of the full Sierra Nevada snowpack that have about 10 times sharper resolution that previously available. While there are on-site sensors throughout the mountain range, they are typically in the middle elevations and do not provide a full, high-resolution picture of the entire range, particularly at higher elevations, Margulis said. The researchers combined their new dataset with other snow survey data, collected by the state's Department of Water Resources, to extend the time series of range-wide snowpack volumes back 65 years to 1951.

Using the data, the researchers applied probabilistic modeling methods to make predictions of snowpack water availability. Accounting for the four-year snowpack deficit from the 2012-2015 drought, the researchers say it will likely take until 2019 to get back to pre-drought conditions.

"Our larger goal is to build a very detailed, continuous picture of the historical snowpack, diagnose the primary factors that cause it to vary, and then ultimately improve models for predicting how much water will be available from it," Margulis said. "This unprecedented information can help policy makers make more informed decisions with regard to this critical resource, especially as climate change affects it."

 

Engineers & Specifiers Green Building Industry Community News
  • Related Articles

    Sorry, your estate plan is not done until you have a lifetime plan

    Pipelines continue to be one of the safest ways to transport energy, says new report?

    Winter snowpack unlikely to end California drought

  • Related Products

    Directory Listing - Premium

You must login or register in order to post a comment.

Report Abusive Comment

Most Popular

  • SLB Announces Newmans Valve as NEWCO Valve Supplier for Western Hemisphere

  • Duravit Announces New Hires and Promotions

  • PVF Roundtable Annual Golf Tournament Registration Now Open

  • Chicago Plumber’s Union Dyes Chicago River Green for St. Patrick’s Day 2023

Featured Video

Caleffi video thumb

The Gold Standard: Separation with NO Compromise

Industry Events

  • 11Apr

    ASA ELEVATE2023

    Charleston, SC
  • 18Apr

    2023 WQA Convention & Exposition

    Las Vegas, NV
  • 18Apr

    2023 AD Decorative Brands Annual Meeting

    Boston, MA
More Events

Subscribe to our newsletters & stay updated

Subscribe & Learn More

  • Tw03 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Pe03 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Phc03 2023 cover
    Learn More
  • Es 2022
    Learn More
Subscribe

More from PHCP Pros

  • Editorial Team
  • Home
  • Contact Us
  • About
  • Advertise

Follow Us

© 2023 All Rights Reserved

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development | ePublishing