The Airborne Snow Observatory Project

LiDAR data from the ASO project

NASA and Cal Tech's Jet Propulsion Laboratory are conducting a pilot project this spring, known as the Airborne Snow Observatory (ASO), to more precisely estimate the volume of water present in the snowpack within the Hetch Hetchy watershed.  The project utilizes frequent aircraft flights and specialized sensors to develop water volume estimates that are potentially more accurate than existing methods, and provide data on a weekly basis versus the existing monthly snow surveys.  The techniques developed in the pilot project may eventually help reservoir operators better manage reservoir operations and UTREP ecological releases.  Read more about the Airborne Snow Observatory Project in this Washington Post article, this LA Times story, and this KQED radio bit.

Spring stakeholder meeting materials

The agenda and presentations from the April 19th, 2013 Upper Tuolumne River Stakeholder Group meeting are now available online.  The Fall stakeholder meeting is scheduled for October 18, 2013 in Moccasin.