Current Theme: Waterworks
	Boulder Creek Watershed Snowpack Conditions

Most of the communities and irrigation districts in Boulder County rely on streamflow from the Saint Vrain, Lefthand or Boulder Creek watersheds for annual water supplies. As a semi-arid region the Front Range generally does not receive adequate precipitation during the peak water demand season to meet all requirements. Front Range communities are significantly dependent on water storage to meet peak summer demands. A crucial component of this storage capacity is provided by the natural snowpack that accumulates in the high county over the course of the winter and spring. The annual accumulation and gradual melting of this snowpack is a major factor in maintaining reservoir levels and stream flows. Generally the first indication of an impending water supply crisis results from monitoring the depth and water content of the snow pack in the upper watersheds.

Silver Lake from 1935 by Donald Campbell Kemp Photograph copyright by the Denver Public Library.

The USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) maintains hundreds of snow pack measurement sites around the western United States including four in western Boulder County. These SNOTEL sites provide real time measurements of snow pack through automated monitoring systems. These automated monitoring stations are supplemented by manual measurements and observations performed by personnel from the USDA and other water resource research and management agencies.

Snow Pack Monitoring Information

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Snow Information
• Snapshot of Colorado Snowpack Water Content by River Basin
• Map of all Colorado SNOTEL sites (slow link)
• Access to all USDA NCRS SNOTEL sites in Colorado
• Summary Plot of South Platte River Basin snowpack
• Summary Plot of Colorado River Basin snowpack

University of Colorado Mountain Research Station

In the late 2002 Mark Losleben of the INSTARR research staff began issuing monthly reports on the condition of the accumulated snowpack at the Niwot Ridge C1 data collection site. The C1 Site lies at 9900 feet above sea level on Niwot Ridge between Navajo Peak and Niwot Mountain. This alpine ridge forms the boundary between the Boulder Creek and St. Vrain River watersheds (between North Boulder Creek and South St. Vrain Creek); and lies just west of the the Lefthand Creek watershed; providing a snapshot of snowpack conditions for most of Boulder County's major watersheds.

These reports are typically comprised of actual hand measurements of the snowpack at C1, the NRCS SNOTEL reports from around the state, and general comments relating to the snowpack conditions (including influencing factors such as weather patterns, comparisons to other times and/or locations, and possibly what to expect in the future).

Niwot Ridge C1 Snow Pack reports

2008/2009 Water Year	2007/2008 Water Year	2006/2007 Water Year	2005/2006 Water Year	2004/2005 Water Year	2003/2004 Water Year	2002/2003 Water Year
			July, 2006	June, 2005	June, 2004	June, 2003
			May, 2006	May, 2005	May, 2004	May, 2003
	April, 2008	April, 2007	April, 2006	April, 2005	April, 2004	April, 2003
March, 2009	March, 2008	March, 2007	March, 2006	March, 2005	March, 2004	March, 2003
February, 2009	February, 2008	February, 2007	February, 2006	February, 2005	February, 2004	February, 2003
January, 2009	January, 2008	January, 2007	January, 2006	January, 2005	January, 2004	January, 2003
December, 2008	December, 2007	December, 2006	December, 2005	December, 2004	December, 2003	December, 2002
	November, 2006	November, 2005	November, 2004

Boulder County SNOTEL Data Sites

Site locations are mapped in BASIN data center

Niwot Ridge	2003 Water Year Accumulations 2004 Water Year Accumulations 2005 Water Year Accumulations 2006 Water Year Accumulations 2007 Water Year Accumulations 2008 Water Year Accumulations 2009 Water Year Accumulations	Interactive Graphing Tool
University Camp	2003 Water Year Accumulations 2004 Water Year Accumulations 2005 Water Year Accumulations 2006 Water Year Accumulations 2007 Water Year Accumulations 2008 Water Year Accumulations 2009 Water Year Accumulations	Interactive Graphing Tool
Lake Eldora	2003 Water Year Accumulations 2004 Water Year Accumulations 2005 Water Year Accumulations 2006 Water Year Accumulations 2007 Water Year Accumulations 2008 Water Year Accumulations 2009 Water Year Accumulations	Interactive Graphing Tool

The Mountain Research Station also maintains several real-time weather stations along Niwot ridge and TundraCam, an interactive online camera located at the Saddle data collection site above the C1 Site (at 11,600 feet above sea level). TundraCam provides a fascinating view of this tundra landscape as well as a real time picture of weather and snow conditions.

More Information about Niwot Ridge Research programs

• Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR)
• Niwot Ridge LTER Program
• CU Mountain Research Station