Sierra Nevada Network River Hydrology Monitoring

Sierra Nevada Inventory and Monitoring Network, Martin KM, Fong C. Sierra Nevada Network River Hydrology Monitoring. 2017. National Park Service

The Sierra Nevada Network (SIEN) monitors the quantity and timing of streamflow in a subset of major rivers as part of the National Park Service’s Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The purpose of the I&M Program is to develop and provide scientifically sound information on the current status and long-term trends in the composition, structure, and function of park ecosystems, and to determine how well current management practices are sustaining those ecosystems. This is accomplished through park-wide inventories and a long-term monitoring program. The SIEN parks contain the headwaters of seven major watersheds—the Tuolumne, Merced, San Joaquin, Kings, Kaweah, Kern, and Tule. Most of the parks’ land area is mid- to high-elevation, where snow is the major form of precipitation. As the winter snowpack melts in spring and summer, it supplies water to park ecosystems through dry summer and early fall seasons. Water from Sierra Nevada snowmelt also flows down rivers and streams to serve as a primary source of water for domestic, commercial, and agricultural use throughout California. SIEN’s approach is to acquire data from existing stream gaging stations with long periods of record and to compile, analyze, and report on these data. Thus the SIEN staff work closely with park staff and other agencies and organizations who manage existing stream gages. The vital sign monitored is surface water dynamics (river discharge rates and the timing and magnitude of peak flows). These long-term data improve understanding of the variability in the timing and quantity of streamflow and support modeling of possible future scenarios related to a changing climate.

Type
Project
Authors
Sierra Nevada Inventory and Monitoring Network; Martin, Kelly; Fong, Catherine
Publisher
National Park Service
Units
DEPO , SEKI , SIEN , YOSE
Keywords
Devils Postpile National Monument, Discharge, Kings Canyon National Park, Long Term Monitoring, Monitoring, Protocol, River Hydrology Protocol, Rivers, Sequoia National Park, Sierra Nevada, Stage, Streamflow Quantity, Streamflow Timing, Surface Water Dynamics, Water, Water Quality, Water Temperature, Yosemite National Park
Subjects
Ecological Framework: Water | Hydrology | Surface Water Dynamics

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