Ark Pak

tony · 01-30-2006

For all of those looking at the snowpack numbers on the flows page and wondering how the ark valley seems to have a smaller pack than the others. If you look at the individual snotel sites you will see that 3 are above 100% and four of them have very low numbers that drag the average down. Well never fear! The four sites with marginal snowpacks are in drainages that do not feed into the ark untill far after the gorge. So if you want a realistic assement of the whitewater look at the Fremont Pass, Brumley and Porphory Creek sites and they will give you the good numbers. I checked these out and found the adjusted headwaters pack is about 137%, right about on par with the other centreral and northern rivers (maybe even better). So good news for boaters.

that is all

heywood

"I got my hair higlighted because I thought some strands were more important than others."
mitch hedburg

deepsouthpaddler · 01-31-2006

thanks for the info tony. I wondered how the ark valley was so low compared to the colorado and south platte when the basins are so close at the headwaters.

basil · 01-31-2006

Wat web sites are you looking at? The snow pack web sites change every year. Very frustrating to follow it.

BastrdSonOfElvis · 01-31-2006

Tone, anybody that quotes Mitch is the shit. Thanks for the good news.

Mike Harvey · 02-01-2006

there was an article in the local paper today that said the upper basin was 125% and the lower basin 70%. So they are predicting a 125% runnoff for now because the lower basin has no real effect on flows in the Upper Ark. Still, wouldn't it be nice to have a season where no one was stressing?

Andy H. · 02-01-2006

SNOTEL Link:

http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/sno.../swe_time.html

Delbert Grady · 02-01-2006

Last year there was the exact opposite problem for the ark. The graph on snotel for 2005 looked awesome at 130% or higher, but the headwaters were actually below average. So yeah factor out the sangre de cristos sites that are bringing that average down and the ark is in GREAT shape for the spring so far....

jonny water · 02-02-2006

Check this site:

http://www.co.nrcs.usda.gov/snow/sno...point_swe.html

It gives the individual snotel site Snow Water Equv. as % of average for the year but places the site at their respective location on a DEM.