Summary Notes from Hydrologic Observatories Working Group Discussion
vs. 3.24.05
Convened at MTNCLIM 2005 Conference, Chico Hot Springs Resort, Pray, MT
MTNCLIM website with Working Group postings: http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/mtnclim/
Working Group Leaders
Roger Bales
School of Engineering
UC Merced
PO Box 2039
Merced, CA 95344
ph: 209 724-4348
email: rbales@ucmerced.edu
Michael Dettinger
US Geological Survey
Scripps Institution of Oceanography
UCSD, Dept 0224
9500 Gilman Drive
La Jolla, CA 92093
ph: 858 822-1507
mddettin@usgs.gov
Participants (including others who have expressed interested)
Sam Earman, Desert Research Institute
Joel Harper, University of Montana
Margaret Matter, Colorado State University
Glenn MacDonald, UC Los Angeles
Anne Nolin, Oregon State University
David Tarboton, Utah State University
searman@dri.edu
joel@mso.umt.edu
mmatter@lamar.colostate.edu
macdonald@geog.ucla.edu
nolina@science.oregonstate.edu
dtarb@cc.usu.edu
Bill Johnson, University of Utah
Timothy Link, University of Idaho
wjohnson@mines.utah.edu
tlink@uidaho.edu
Background
Like so many aspects of western-mountain climate science, adequate research infrastructure to address
emerging questions in hydrology, hydroclimatology and biogeochemistry in western mountains has not
been developed over the past few decades. Western mountains are not monitored as intensively or
extensively as is needed to meet the challenges imposed by climate variations, climate change, land use
change, population growth and a host of other environmental stresses expected in the 21st Century. In
response to planning initiated by the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic
Science, Inc., an NSF supported consortium of over 90 universities, this fall NSF plans to select two
hydrologic observatories (HOs) as testbeds for long-term measurements, for hydrologic characterization
and for building new infrastructure to support studies of surface-water, ground-water, and hydroclimatic
variables and processes, to provide focuses for hydrologic advancements in this century. Nationwide,
over 20 local design teams (LDTs) have expressed an interest in submitting proposals and competing for
this funding. At least five of the teams are focusing on western settings and most of those teams
necessarily will have to provide coherent and innovative plans for critical research and research
infrastructure in western mountain settings. During MTNCLIM, leaders of several of the LDTs for
proposed HOs in western mountains, along with an equal number of others, formed a working group to
discuss and develop approaches and actions to help build new hydrologic infrastructure, focusing mainly
on measurements and data, in western mountains, both within and outside the CUAHSI proposal and
funding process.
Discussion
Representatives from five of the HO teams provided brief summaries of their team’s objectives and
approaches: Anne Nolin for the Pacific Northwest team, Joel Harper for the Crown of the Continent
(northern Rockies) team, David Tarboton for the Great Salt Lake Basin team, and Roger Bales for the
Sierra Nevada and Rio Grande teams. Currently, most of the participants in this working group are more
focused on their own HO proposals rather than on joint efforts or on futures beyond the current CUAHSI
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opportunity. However, some of the teams are actively sharing information on research needs,
measurement strategies and other aspects of proposed approaches in order to build greater community
support for the observatory initiative in the Western U.S.
The group that met during the MTNCLIM meeting (including both CUAHSI and non-CUAHSI participants)
recognized that (a) at least one of the CUAHSI HO’s should be from among the western-mountain
candidates, in order to deal with the pressing issues of western water in the 21st Century, to truly advance
hydrologic sciences in important ways, and in the interests of the MTNCLIM community; and (b) that after
the CUAHSI proposal process exhausts itself, there will still be a need to address hydrologic research
infrastructure and monitoring needs for the western mountain environments as a community. Thus it was
felt that a Hydrologic Observations Working Group would be a useful undertaking.
Working Group Goals
The Hydrologic Observatories WG will:
1. Make the case to funding agencies—most immediately, NSF through CUAHSI—that
establishment of modern hydrologic observatories in western mountain settings is imperative to
meet growing scientific and societal needs.
2. Promote the concept that the western-mountain HO teams should continue their discussions and
planning beyond the immediate CUAHSI funding opportunity as the core of a truly regional
hydrologic measurement and research strategy for the western-mountain basins.
3. Strive to initiate discussions and intercomparisons of hydrologic monitoring and observation
strategies and technologies across the western mountain region.
Working Group Action – 6 month Horizon
During 2005, the Working Group will develop a brief “white paper” stating the case for CUAHSI to fund at
least one western-mountain HO as soon as possible. Because more than half of the WG participants are
active in development of highly competitive HO proposals, this task is not simple and—even afterwards-there may be concerns as to the paper’s objectivity and credibility. Thus the group proposes to develop a
strawman draft within the next few months (given delays in the CUAHSI process—since MTNCLIM-- that
allow us to take this time), and then proposes to present the draft to the CIRMOUNT Steering Committee
(SC) for the SC to revise and (we hope) send to CUAHSI and NSF under CIRMOUNT “signature”.
Under the recent delays in CUAHSI decisions, Roger Bales and Dave Tarboton agreed to sketch out the
issues and content of this initial white paper. Dettinger agreed (as a non-LDT and SC member) to flesh
out the draft (for review and revision by the entire WG) and submit it finally to the SG, for their review and
(ultimately) signature. The white paper will then be transmitted to CUAHSI and NSF, and published
otherwise as warranted.
Working Group Action – 2 year Horizon
Most members of the WG are necessarily preoccupied with the ongoing CUAHSI proposal process.
However, this process is expected to run its course within 6 months. Until that process begins to wind
down, the WG felt that discussions would be helpful but that long-term, regional efforts are not likely to be
successful in drawing attention or energy away from the immediate proposals. Thus, we anticipate trying
to draw members from the HO teams and other interested scientists together at some later date (perhaps,
at Fall AGU Meeting) to begin the longer range discussions AFTER the first round of CUAHSI proposals
has been submitted. One step in this post-CUAHSI development will be to develop and propose a
hydrologic classification system for the West, a system that can be used to determine the adequacy of
current and future observation networks and to prioritize proposed network designs. In the nearer term, a
listserv will be established and its membership populated in anticipation of these future discussions and
steps.
Coordination Needed
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The Hydrologic Monitoring Working Group will benefit by coordinating with all of the other CIRMOUNT
Working Groups, but especially:
Mountain Monitoring Network (Redmond)
Paleoclimatology (Woodhouse)