Snow Harvest, 1950s

by Lands back from the very banks of the waterfill Columbia Colorado the Missouri the Rio grass water the life blood of the West flowed endlessly on but always just Out Of Reach until the Pioneers pushed Westward along the Santa Fe Trail into Utah over the Oregon [Music] Trail the Indians still fish for where the Columbia River plunges over Salo fall the white man long since has put the Waters of the West to work for him in other [Music] ways for hydroelectric power for navigation and lumbering for industry and Manu facturing and for agriculture most of the water in the west comes from snow several major storms each winter build up this vital crop on the high mountain Watershed in the Sierra Nevada the Rockies the Cascades if the snow crop is short power and irrigation reservoirs may fail to fill steam flow drops off before the needs of the season are met power shortages crop failures may result other years the snow pack yields more water than usual creeks and rivers may be smaller and if melting conditions are right floods May [Music] threaten everybody has a real concern in the snow up yonder Municipal Water users Sportsmen Highway railroad Mining and other interest Timber owners Forest [Music] firefighters clearly it is important to know in advance what the water supply will be Investments of millions of dollars depend upon it until a few years ago we could only guess what the snow Harvest would bring but you can't tell how much snow there is much less how much water there will be just by looking at mountaintops miles away so the science of snow surveying was developed to make possible more dependable water supp today a thousand or more Hardy Men Travel each winter on snows and skis muffs to measure snow water they track 30,000 m in 12 Western States and two Canadian provinces the information they bring back benefits this entire area [Music] let's go along with two of these snow surveyors they're on their way to a snow course high in the Sawtooth mountains near Sun Valley Idaho they drive as far as they can before starting their hard climb these men represent two of the many groups cooperating in snow survey Wayne is one of the few full-time snow surveyors of the soil conservation service the overall coordinating agency and Most states Glen is a US Forest ranger accuracy of snow measurements is the key to their value so Glenn and Wayne are careful to check each piece of sampling equipment the 30-in aluminum alloy tubes screwed together they reach down through the deepest snow sometimes 20 ft or more the cutter to go through ice laay the hand scale specially graduated to show the inches of water when the tube full of snow is weighed the driving rents to force the tube all the way to the ground the snow is unusually deep or [Music] compact snow surveyors always travel in pairs for safety in case of accident or storm [Music] they must be Mountain wise and have a love of the outdoor their clothing must be warm their skis the sturdiest for Overland Mountain Travel their packs light for long climbs sometimes they have to make as many as 25 miles in a day they may start before daylight and travel into the night if the going is tough [Music] the long climb begins [Music] climbing on skis maybe 1,400 ft in a single mile soon becomes hot work running water seldom crosses the trail eating snow only makes the climber all the thirstier this drink fished from an open stream may have to last our snow surveyors for [Music] 10 miles to go these markers are fasten high enough in the trees not to be buried by Deep snows along the little 's Trail [Music] the midday rest finds Wayne and Glenn already far up in the mountain [Music] scenery rarely looked upon by man the snow surveyors themselves never Tire of this winter Grandeur on the top of the continent [Music] lunchtime on the trail is an event mansiz sandwiches hit the spot they must be eaten hurriedly for there's still plenty of hard traveling [Music] ahead after lunch the trail becomes steeper but these men are seasoned and take it in their stride snow storms though are something else they come up Suddenly and are unpredictable high up near the timber line they may pass in a few minutes they may last for hours if that happens may not make it to the cabin by night but have to hold up in the snow it's hard to travel in blinding snow it takes men who know their way in the mountains to keep on the trail fortunately this Squall passes [Music] on a mile or two farther on comes the most hazardous part of the trip crossing a possible slide area under the now warm afternoon sun a menacing Cornus may choose this very moment to let loose its tons of smothering snow while Wayne drops back to a safe distance Glenn Ventures ahead cautiously it's a height SP T of snow are starting to come [Music] down it's all right now it was only a dust so they hurry on across the danger area the snow surveyors have a good safety record only two have lost their lives [Music] late afternoon the shelter cabin had last men's lives depend on their finding the cabin unmolested it has been stocked the summer before with drywood canned goods and other Staples enough to wait out a 2 week dorm if necessary but getting into the cabin is a chore a good deal of hard shoveling always has to be done Glenn with questionable help from Wayne digs their way [Music] in everything needed to cook their meal is in the cabin stored in a Frostproof concrete cupo add a few chops and suppers on the table Glenn did the cooking so he steps out to size up the weather while Wayne does the dishes with warm sleeping bags a good night sleep is calling early next day they take the snow measurements on the nearby course it is laid out in a sheltered Mountain Meadow where there is amount of snow drifting there are about 850 of these courses in the west alone they are marked with permanent signs samples are taken at the same points on the course several times each winter to ensure accurate comparative measurements snow is nothing but water and air but in varying proportions it first was measured for its water content in Maine about 1900 a few years later Dr J Church pioneered Western Snow surveying in Nevada since 1935 the United States Department of Agriculture has coordinated snow activities making the information available to all water users as the snow cover is relatively shallow here only a few sections I needed to reach through it first Wayne pushes the 1 and 34 in Hollow tube down until the the cutter end bites into Solid Ground now to see how many inches of snow markings on the tube give the snow depth reading after the snowfill tube is withdrawn Glenn carefully removes a bit of soil that would distort the actual snow sample waight next to find how much is in the snow cover especially graduated scale converts the weight of the snow into the inches of water it contains for example 60 in of snow may have anywhere from 12 to 30 in of water gland you notice has been taking full notes on the measurements these figures will end up in the local state Regional and National tabulation greatest care must be used in every step of the measurements the tube must be completely free of snow or ice before the next sample is taken the sampling points between marker post are measured off off by ski lengths a number of samples are obtained on each course to guarantee a fair average water users in the valley below are waiting for this information and Wayne and Glenn Wast no time in starting back with it [Music] it's certainly easier going back down this civilization this is the part of the trip they really enjoy there they go [Music] surveyors are not exhibitionists on skis though they must be experts their job is to get there and back with the snow measurement they take no unnecessary chances but Glen and Wayne do know how to handle those [Music] gemes some snow surveyors are fortunate enough to have machines like this in which to make their round several types of this motorized equipment have been [Music] developed back at snow survey headquarters the measurements come in by shortwave radio telephone Telegraph and air mail they are tallied up without delay rushed to the water users with the speed of election return surveys are made around the first of each month usually from January to May the final spring measurements count heaviest in forecasting the water supply for the coming season figures involving each reporting and water using locality are tabulated the figures are checked and double checked snow cover conditions are promptly mapped to send along with the final report complete reports are processed and sent from several compulation centers to thousands of Key Water users this map shows at a glance what the snow water situation is on the wed main figures are sped by telephone or telegraphed to those requesting such service by newspaper and radio the month-by-month snow crop estimates are published for the thousands who do not receive the complete report final water forecast made it meetings held each spring are based on these snow survey figures Stream flow measurements and other information [Music] today as a result farmers and other users no longer have to depend on guas work in sizing up the summer water supply each year forecasts become more accurate as records accumulate it is not uncommon now for predictions to be less than 5% off from the water that actually materializes high up on the snowy water shed when the spring claws come the first Jewel drops of lifegiving water fall and splash to feed the first small trickle a thousand snow-fed rivulets converge into Clear Mountain stream [Music] they tumble in torrent but Cascade down and down small streams join with larger ones [Music] finally the snow water flows into reservoirs be held until needed Advanced information supplied by snow surveyors on whether water will be plentiful or short means millions of dollars in profit or loss to water users Downstream Arrangements can be made before beforehand to lower Reservoir storage in high water years lessening flood hazards saving property damage crop loss even human [Music] life in perspective dry years Timber owners and Forest managers can take extra precautions to protect forests when watersheds are dry cities can figure ahead if there'll be enough water for lawns and Gardens all summer hydroelectric power companies know how to plan oper whether they'll have to fall back on Steam to deliver contracted power loads or whether there will be enough water to carry them through the water may be let directly into irrigation or other Distribution Systems floms are the arteries carrying those live streams go the thir the spawns as if by Magic Snow water life blood of the West flows onto more than 20 million Western Acres the wise irrigation Farmers govern their cropping plans and Water application according to the amount predicted to below normal they grow early crops cut down on their heavy water using and late that saves them seed and labor crop failure and money if they have more they can use they don't turn control to waste and wash their [Music] land they follow conservation practices that save both Soil and Water and mean more money to boo the conservation farmers and ranchers use their land for the purpose to which it is best suited whether it is pasture on High Ground irrigated crops hay lands if they know in advance they will get the water they want and need they plant accordingly and cash in at Harvest Time water is the very life of the West and in some areas as much as those from this great white blanket here is Western treasure snow deep wet snow winter stor marrow's wealth of water [Music]