U. S. Drought Monitor Forum

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U. S. Drought Monitor Forum
Automated Soil Moisture Monitoring From CSCAN and
SNOTEL Networks Garry L. Schaefer, WCM Branch
Leader October 10, 2008 Portland, Oregon
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Soil Moisture Monitoring

• CSCAN
• Cooperative Soil Climate Analysis Network
• Monitors lower elevation areas for atmospheric
  and soil moisture monitoring nationwide
• SNOTEL
• SNOw pack TELmetry
• Monitors high elevation areas for snow water
  content and soil moisture in the Western United
  States

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CSCAN

• CSCAN
• Started as a Soil Moisture/Soil Temperature Pilot
  Project in 1991with 21 stations
• If funding becomes available, full implementation
  of CSCAN would have at least 1,000 new stations
  and integrate 1,000 existing partner-based
  stations
• Utilizes meteor burst, line-of-sight, or GOES
  satellite communication technology to obtain
  remote station data

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CSCAN

• Currently the network has 144 stations in 39
  States
• Provides hourly data with
• Precipitation
• Air temperature
• Relative humidity
• Solar radiation
• Wind speed and direction
• Barometric pressure
• Soil moisture and soil temperature
• 2, 4, 8, 20, and 40 inches

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Other CSCAN Data Parameters

• Snow water content
• Snow depth
• Net radiation
• Redox
• Additional soil moisture and soil temperature
  measurements
• Water level
• Surface temperature
• Water quality parameters

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Soil Moisture/ Precipitation
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CSCAN Data

• All CSCAN stations have full soil
  characterizations complete and available on the
  web
• All CSCAN data are available on the web
• httpwww.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan
• Data Availability
• Current and historical data available
• Special Spreadsheet compatible reports can be
  created

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Soil Description
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CSCAN Cooperators

• Current partners include
• Mississippi State University and Extension
  Service
• Alabama AM University
• University of Arkansas - Pine Bluff
• University of Missouri
• Iowa State University
• High Plains Regional Climate Center
• U.S.D.A.- World Agricultural Outlook Board
• U.S.D.A.- Agricultural Research Service
• U.S.D.A.- Forest Service
• U.S.D.A.-Natural Resources Conservation Service
• The Nature Conservancy
• Vermont Department of Forests, Parks, and
  Recreation
• University of Alaska

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SNOTEL Network

• Large Automated Climate Network
• Began in 1978
• Over 747 remote stations
• Generally in high elevation areas
• Located in the 12 Western States and Alaska
• Utilizes meteor burst communication technology to
  transmit data

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SNOTEL Locations
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SNOTEL Parameters

• Typical Sensor Array
• Snow water content
• All season precipitation
• Air temperature (maximum, minimum, and average)
• Snow depth
• Soil moisture and soil temperature at 35 of
  network

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SNOTEL Parameters

• Additional Sensors at Selective Stations
• Solar radiation
• Relative humidity
• Wind speed and direction
• Other sensors based upon customer requests

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Typical SNOTEL Station
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Data Uses

• Drought assessment and mitigation
• Drought triggers
• Soil survey interruption and mapping
• Crop production forecasts
• Range production and condition
• Disease and Pest prediction/mitigation
• Flood forecasting
• Climate monitoring
• Water supply forecasting
• Climate change assessment
• Water quality monitoring
• Air quality monitoring
• Underground utility lines

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Summary

• CSCAN and SNOTEL are very cost effective
• Provides a minimum of daily up to hourly data
• Expandable to meet demands
• Designed to be a cooperative program
• Diversity in the use of the data
• Data are easily retrievable from the web page at
  http//www/wcc.nrcs.usda.gov
• Developing better tools to provide user with
  greater flexibility in reports and analysis
• Agreement with Oregon State University and
  Alabama AM University to develop a spatial soil
  moisture model which integrates point soil
  moisture data with soils data to produce a soil
  moisture map

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Contacts

• Garry L. Schaefer, NRCSWater Climate
  Monitoring Branch Leader1201 NE Lloyd Blvd.,
  Suite 802Portland, OR 97232Phone [phone]
  Fax [phone]Email garry.schaefer_at_por.usda.g
  ov
• Deborah S. Harms, NRCSSoil Scientist Federal
  Building100 Centennial Mall NorthLincoln, NE
  68508Phone [phone]Email
  deb.harms_at_lin.usda.gov