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SnowPilot: A New Way of Collecting, Graphing and Databasing Snowpit Data with a PDA

Gathering information about the snowpack usually entails standing in a 5-foot deep hole and scribbling your observations into a notebook. In adverse weather this is slow, tedious and cold. Furthermore, since no one can make sense of your notes you likely have to rewrite it a second time back in the office. And even then, there's no simple way to share this difficult-to-collect information with other avalanche centers, researchers or the public.

Doug Chabot (r) and Ron Johnson (l) of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

SnowPilot [www.snowpilot.org] streamlines this entire process. It's a free software program that allows avalanche professionals to collect snowpit and avalanche occurrence data onto a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA or Palm Pilot). This data is then hot-synched to a PC where a graph of the snowpit is created, eliminating the need to redraw everything. Your information can also be uploaded to a database on the web where you can view graphs from other regions and researchers can access the raw data for their studies. There is nothing like it in the world. SnowPilot will be fully operational this winter bringing field observations, snowpits and stability tests into the digital age.

SnowPilot was developed by Mark Kahrl in cooperation with Doug Chabot of the Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center.

Submitted by: Doug Chabot, Director
Gallatin National Forest Avalanche Center

What Happened at Those Meetings?

AWRA Montana Section

A record 170 hydrologists and water managers attended the 21st meeting of the American Water Resources Association's Montana Section in Helena on October 4 and 5. Keynote speaker Jane Jelinski, Director of the Local Government Center, kicked off the presentation of 37 professional papers and posters addressing "Montana's Water Outlook: Current and Future Challenges." Jelinski spoke about "Challenges faced by local decision-makers making land-use and water-use findings," a perfect segue to presentations on current water issues and research findings. You can download meeting proceedings at the Montana AWRA web site [www.awra.org/state/montana].

Several students received presentation honors including:

• Kristin Gardner, Montana State University: First Place Paper
• Ryan McLane, Montana State University: Second Place Paper
• Steve Parker, Montana Tech: Third Place Paper
• Tim Covino, Montana State University: First Place Poster
• Kristin Gardner, Montana State University: Second Place Poster

Montana Water School

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ), Montana Environmental Training Center, Montana State University (MSU) College of Engineering, and the Montana Water Center conducted the Fall Water School on September 27-30, 2004 in Bozeman. This school is designed for entry level and experienced water and wastewater systems operators and managers. About 180 operators and 15 vendors took part in classes on electrical safety, technology in distribution, filter assessments, public health, pumps, telemetry, disinfection, and lagoon operations. Final exams offered by DEQ Certification Office on October 1st were taken by 81 operators.

National Partnership for the Management of Wild and Native Coldwater Fisheries

On September 22-24, 2004, the National Partnership for the Management of Wild and Native Coldwater Fisheries held its annual meeting in Bozeman, Montana. The Partnership oversees the Whirling Disease Initiative which sponsors research, promotes practical management solutions, and fosters relationships and collaborations with interested groups. The Montana Water Center at Montana State University administers and manages the Whirling Disease Initiative.

The meeting got off to an enthusiastic start with a wonderful dinner at the Sweet Pea Café followed by an insightful talk given by nationally-renowned fisheries biologist Dr. Robert Behnke. The second day focused on presentations and panel discussions covering various whirling disease-related topics, including: risk assessment, establishment of a fisheries database, a state-by-state status report of whirling disease, management strategies, and re-evaluating the goals, processes, and objectives of the Initiative. The final day concluded with a business meeting of the National Partnership. Find more information about the work of the Partnership at the Montana Water Center web site [water.montana.edu/mwc/programs/fisheries/whirling].

The USGS Water Research Grants Program (104b) Request for Pre-Proposals is now available for all research investigators at Montana Institutes of Higher Education. Application deadline is October 25, 2004. Please go to the Montana Water Center web site [water.montana.edu/mwc/programs/research/usgs] to download the guidelines.

The Request for Proposals for the FY 2005 National Competitive Grants Program authorized by Section 104G of the Water Resources Research Act of 1984 has been released. The RFP may be obtained by going to the NIWR web site [niwr.org] and clicking on "View the RFP" under "National Competitive Grants Program". Application deadline is February 22, 2005.

The RFP for the Student Water Research Fellowship Program is also available at the Montana Water Center web site [water.montana.edu/mwc/programs/research/usgs]. The deadline for submittal of these proposals is November 26, 2004.

In August, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) issued a Call for Grant Applications under Section 319(h) of the Federal Clean Water Act (CWA). The Call for Grant Application provides a timeline for draft preparation and submittal, and is available at the DEQ web site [www.deq.state.mt.us/wqinfo/nonpoint/319Grants.asp] The deadline for draft applications is November 1, 2004. All final applications will be due on December 15, 2004.

The Call for Papers is out for the Western Snow Conference to be held in Great Falls, Montana from April 11-14, 2005. The theme of this year's conference is: "Exploring New Frontiers in Snow Hydrology - 200 Years after Lewis and Clark". For more information, visit the Western Snow Conference web site [www.westernsnowconference.org].

The next AWWA Teleconference, "Water Resource Alternatives: The Future of Sustainable Utility Practices," is set for November 4, 2004. For more information or to sign-up, go to the AWWA web site [www.awwa.org/education/teleconf], call the Montana Water Center at 994-6690, or email Sue Faber at the Montana Water Center at sfaber@montana.edu.

On August 25, the Bush administration submitted to Congress its annual report on the science supported by the federal government to better understand climate change. The report, "Our Changing Planet: The U.S. Climate Change Science Program for Fiscal Years 2004 and 2005," summarizes the government's strategic plan for climate change science. The full report can be found at the US Climate Change Science Program web site [www.climatescience.gov].

The 2004 publication, "After the Fires: The Ecology of Change in Yellowstone National Park," edited by Linda Wallace, is now available at bookstands.

Find "The Role of Limnological Processes in Fate and Transport of Nitrogen and Phosphorus Loads Delivered into Coeur d'Alene Lake and Pend Oreille, Idaho, and Flathead Lake, Montana" at the Montana Water Center online library [water.montana.edu/mwc/library].

So many meetings, so little time. Even so, there are a few that water folks just shouldn't miss! Find more information on these and other upcoming events on the Events Calendar at MONTANA WATER.