Soil‐absorption and its effect on stream‐flow forecasts in Utah

Abstract

The relationship between precipitation on and the runoff from mountain‐watersheds has been the object of intensive study at the Utah Agricultural Experiment‐Station since 1923. Although approximately 80 per cent of the runoff available for irrigation comes from watersheds above 7000 feet, which area constitutes only about 20 per cent of the State, there was in the beginning little information available concerning the physical or meteorological conditions on these watersheds. For the most part, the high watersheds are inaccessible during the winter, except by snow‐shoes or skiis and no weather‐stations are maintained on them. As a first step in a study of precipitation‐runoff relationships, therefore, it was necessary to establish a network of snow‐courses for measuring the accumulated snow‐cover. Such a network of snow‐courses, similar to those previously established by Dr. J. E. Church in Nevada, was established on the Logan River Watershed. After seven years of intensive work on this area the network was expanded to cover all of the principal watersheds of the State.