Snowmobile impacts on snowpack physical and mechanical properties

Steven R Fassnacht,Jared T Heath,Niah B H Venable,Kelly J Elder

doi:10.5194/tc-12-1121-2018

Abstract

Abstract. Snowmobile use is a popular form of winter recreation in Colorado, particularly on public lands. To examine the effects of differing levels of use on snowpack properties, experiments were performed at two different areas, Rabbit Ears Pass near Steamboat Springs and at Fraser Experimental Forest near Fraser, Colorado USA. Differences between no use and varying degrees of snowmobile use (low, medium and high) on shallow (the operational standard of 30 cm) and deeper snowpacks (120 cm) were quantified and statistically assessed using measurements of snow density, temperature, stratigraphy, hardness, and ram resistance from snow pit profiles. A simple model was explored that estimated snow density changes from snowmobile use based on experimental results. Snowpack property changes were more pronounced for thinner snow accumulations. When snowmobile use started in deeper snow conditions, there was less difference in density, hardness, and ram resistance compared to the control case of no snowmobile use. These results have implications for the management of snowmobile use in times and places of shallower snow conditions where underlying natural resources could be affected by denser and harder snowpacks.

Highlights

In the United States snowmobiling accounts for between USD 7 billion (American Council of Snowmobile Associations, 2014) and USD 26 billion (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, 2016) in annual revenue, and much of the snowmobile use occurs on public land
There have been limited studies regarding the influence of snowmobile use on snowpack properties (Keddy et al, 1979; Thumlert et al, 2013; Thumlert and Jamieson, 2015)
We examined the effect of snowmobile use on the physical and material properties of the snowpack at sites with varying snowmobile use and seasonal snow conditions

Summary

Introduction

In the United States snowmobiling accounts for between USD 7 billion (American Council of Snowmobile Associations, 2014) and USD 26 billion (International Snowmobile Manufacturers Association, 2016) in annual revenue, and much of the snowmobile use occurs on public land. The United States National Forest System records about 6 million snowmobile visits annually, accessing about 327 000 km of land (US Forest Service, 2010, 2013a). With continued increases in the number of people participating in winter recreation (Cook and Borrie, 1995; Winter Wildlands Alliance, 2006; US Forest Service, 2010, 2013a; Nagler et al, 2012; Colorado Off-Highway Vehicle Coalition, 2016; Osterberg, 2016), activities including increased snowmobile use may influence snowpack properties in these seasonally snowcovered environments.

Methods

Results

Discussion

Conclusion