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Show 1 1,. Snow and Water Supply ; . Is Below Average 'u Records compiled by Ranger Wells Taursiby from the Snow Survey Sur-vey trip just completed shows the wca snow and water supply on the "jj mountains above Ephraim. to be ti?i less than a long time average. "SH Ranger Thursby was assisted on 5 fa the survey by Paul Hansen, Claud 3 Maylett and Keith Mortensen. The Sfei party found the snow to be well packed and drifted. The "Snow rm Survey"' consists of courses estab-IL estab-IL lished in 1931 and take in eleva- Hons from 7665 to 10,400 feet above sea level. The courses have a total to-tal length of 10,900 feet and cover areas in both the Sevier and Colo- - rado River Drainages. Precipitation during March at aU stations was very light, 1.35 inches at Oaks Station; 1.87 inches flf at the Great Basin Experiment Sta-vl Sta-vl tic-n, and 2.32 inches at the Meadows. Mea-dows. The warm, weather during all of ud March reduced the snow depth of XffsV 1 onnrfwimafiilv nnp third. The warm, weather causing T. evaporation and melting of the Jif snow supply was responsible for "Y only about one-fifth inch increase In the water supply during rthe month. At the Oaks Station the snow was 14 inches deeps with a water content of only 4.20 inches. This station is on the low range where 1 P the wan.n, weather has melted all I V the sno,i except on protected ar- It eas. One year ago the snow at this station was 25.71 inches deep with a 'Water content of 8.64. At the G.B.E.S the snow was 40.69 inches in depth, with a water m content of 15.30 inches. Last year llf the sncw was 54.77 inohes in depth, ...X0 a water content of 17.77 inches. The 18 year average at this station is 49.89 inches of snow, containing t 13.35 inches of water. This station is situated in the center of the snow course area and gives a bet-jjj. bet-jjj. ter average far basing supply fig-1111 fig-1111 ures than does any of the other stations. At the Meadows course, near the ttcp of the mountain, the snow was 57 inches deep, with a water content con-tent cf 20.80 inches. Last year the j A snow was 68.55 inches and contain-jljr contain-jljr ei, 2250 inches of water. The 8 ..... llr year average for this station, is 64.-41 64.-41 inches of sno, containing 21.42 inches of wpter. v""" The Seely Creek course, situated . on the east slope of the mountain tfll with a water content of 20 inc es. Last year the snow was 63.40 inches inch-es deep, With a water content of cg 20.70 inches. An eight year averse aver-se for this course is 63.0!) inches of snow ani 21.53 inches of water. Pp In 1936, t.ie wettest year on rec-crd rec-crd here, the Snow was 36.43 inch-. inch-. V es deep and hid a water content of 980 inches at the Oaks Station. At the GBES the snow was 68.46 inches deep, with a water content cf 23.50. At the Meadows the snow was 81.86 inches deep with a water wa-ter content of 28.12, and at, the 4 fit Seely Creek course, the snow was IUr 81.96 inches deep, with a water ... II content of 29.73 inches. During a number of the driest years on record there has been no fnow on the ground at, the Oaks Station. The driest year on record - 1 at the GBES was 1931. The snow lUfi was 34 33 inches deep, with a waif wa-if ter content of only 8 inches. The same year at the Meadows the snow measured 44 inches, with a water L content cf only 10.79 inches, and 'lllT at Seely Creek: 42.43 inches of snow , U" with a water content of 11.20 inch- wf A number cf factors influencing ml the amount of runoff from the watershed, wa-tershed, which are not given consideration con-sideration in the reports should be ke;,t in mind. The snow this year is very well packed and drifted. The heavy packed and drifted snow 1 Hi n: melt as fast as loose snow. (J The warm, weather of March melt- ed some of the snow, which was 'bsorbed by the unfrozen ground. The soil is now very well saturated, which should also influence runoff. Weather Report Mffi Ranger Cox reports that the pre- cipitaUon at the Mt. Baldy Ranger W Station frcm February 25 to Mirc'i 28 was 2.75 inches. The accumula- tion of moisture from October 8 to March 28 was 17.60 inches. Ti:e Kir. 4C sncw on ground on March 28 ie was 54 inches. J |