Project Grant R22AP00375

THE COLORADO DUST-ON-SNOW (CODOS) PROGRAM PERFORMS DUST-ON-SNOW MONITORING THROUGHOUT THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS AND PROVIDES THE COLORADO RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT COMMUNITY AND OTHER INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS INCLUDING ENVIRONMENTAL AND RECREATIONAL GROUPS, NATIVE AMERICAN INDIAN NATIONS AND COMMUNITIES, STATE AGENCIES, AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC WITH TIMELY ANALYSES AND FORECASTS OF DUST EFFECTS AND SNOWMELT TIMING RATES. THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THIS PROJECT BENEFITS BY INCREASING THE KNOWLEDGE OF THE NATURAL SYSTEM WITH THE POTENTIAL TO IMPROVE RUNOFF FORECASTS, THEREBY IMPROVING OPERATIONS OF ORGANIZATIONS.THE CODOC PROGRAM OBJECTIVE IS TO PERFORM DUST-ON-SNOW MONITORING THROUGHOUT THE COLORADO MOUNTAINS BY MONITORING THE PRESENCE/ABSENCE OF DUST LAYERS. ALSO, USING THOSE OBSERVATIONS, AND DATA FROM NEARBY SNOWPACK TELEMETRY (SNOTEL) SITES, AND WEATHER FORECASTS. THE CODOS PROGRAM ISSUES A SERIES OF ANALYSES OF HOW DUST-ON-SNOW IS LIKELY TO INFLUENCE SNOWMELT TIMING AND RATES DURING THE RUNOFF SEASON.THE RECIPIENT WILL PERFORM FIELD WORK AT ELEVEN SAMPLE SITES. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL 1) DOCUMENT DUST-ON-SNOW LAYERS AND OTHER SNOWPACK CONDITIONS IN ANNUAL TECHNICAL REPORT; 2) MONITOR ASSOCIATED SNOWPACK TELEMETRY (SNOTEL) SITES BETWEEN VISITS, 3) EVALUATE REGIONAL HYDROLOGIC DATA, AND 4) CONTACT COLORADO DUST-ON-SNOW-PROGRAM (CODOS) PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS AND OTHER LOCAL OBSERVERS FOR OTHER OBSERVATIONS.THE PRIMARY DELIVERABLE IS TO PROVIDE TIMELY INFORMATION ABOUT DUST-ON-SNOW CONDITIONS IN WATERSHEDS, THROUGH A SERIES OF OPERATIONAL DUST-ON-SNOW CONDITION UPDATES, ALERTS, AND EMAILS TAILORED TO OPERATIONS, WHICH WILL BE AVAILABLE PUBLICLY VIA PROJECT WEBSITE (CODOS.ORG).THERE ARE NO SUBRECIPIENTS PROPOSED FOR THIS AGREEMENT.