Accumulated snowpack is a major source of water throughout the united states

This Project Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program / Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Program totaling $153,622 will support the development of a novel low-cost snow water equivalent (SWE) measurement system using a single global navigation satellite system (GNSS) receiver. NWB Sensors Inc. will write software to implement their proposed method for measuring snowpack data with GNSS and compare SWE measurements to existing technologies. The accuracy of the proposed GNSS-based method and its advantages and disadvantages relative to other approaches will be evaluated. Recommendations will be developed for a low-cost GNSS SWE measurement system design that could be implemented in a subsequent phase, addressing the need for improved snow monitoring on the Northern Plains important for streamflow forecasting and reservoir management.

Accurately monitoring snow on the northern plains is a significant need for streamflow forecasting and reservoir management. This has been demonstrated by the US army corp of engineers establishment of the upper missouri river basin plains snow and soil moisture monitoring network. The availability of a low-cost snow water equivalent (SWE) measurement system would allow large areas of the northern plains to be adequately sampled in a cost effective way. To address the need for a low-cost SWE measurement system, we propose a novel method of measuring snow using a single global navigation satellite system (gnss) receiver system. To assess the feasibility of the proposed method, software will be written which implementsthe proposed method.SWE measurements resulting from the methodwill be compared to those from existing technologies. The accuracy of the proposed method as well as its inherit advantages and disadvantages compared to existing technologies will be compiled. Recommendations will be made for a low-cost design which can be implemented under a subsequent effort.