Friant water authority is proposing an expanded application of established airborne snow observatory technologies in the upper SAN joaquin river basin to supplement and refine sensitive water year…

The Bureau of Reclamation awarded a $3,611,081.33 Cooperative Agreement to the Friant Water Authority under the Snow Water Supply Forecasting program (CFDA 15.078) to supplement and refine sensitive water year type management of snow supplies in the upper San Joaquin River Basin. The project will involve additional airborne snow observatory flights, in-situ snow course data collection, historical modeling analysis, and development of a tool to estimate elevation-banded snow-water equivalent. The activities are intended to enhance water supply forecasting and management, and will take place over a 3-year period from November 2024 to December 2027 across approximately 1,458 square miles in California.

Friant water authority is proposing an expanded application of established airborne snow observatory technologies in the upper SAN joaquin river basin to supplement and refine sensitive water year type management of snow supplies. Airborne snow observatory data will be shared and applied to water supply forecasting tools managed by the california department of water resources, the california nevada river forecast center, the united states bureau of reclamation, and other agencies and organizations that support research and the development of forecasting tools for the SAN joaquin river basin and the western united states. Federal funding will supplement planned californias department of water resources programming through department of water resources division of flood management and the california cooperative snow surveys program. Proposed activities focus on additional airborne snow observatory flights to target critical management periods depending on year type, additional in-situ snow courses to aid in data validation, the development of a historical retrospective of isnobal modeling in the SAN joaquin basin, and the development of a tool which will estimate elevation-banded snow-water equivalent in bulk and in an elevation banded format from snow pillows. The project spans three fiscal years (november 2024 to september 2027). Project activities will take place the upper SAN joaquin river basin which span approximately 1,458 square miles, multiple california counties, and includes approximately 25 field sites.