1 Version status

This data set is version 1.2; it supercedes all earlier versions. The main change in this version is the use of catchment boundaries derived from the 1-m Lidar DEM for all three catchments. In earlier versions, the catchment boundaries for 240 and 241 Creeks were derived from the Canadian DEM (CDEM). However, further comparison indicated that boundaries based on the Lidar DEM were closer to those based on field surveys for all three catchments.

An important note is that the current stream network layer, based on the Government of Canada CanVec layers, is notably incorrect near the southern boundary of the catchment for 242 Creek. A corrected network based on field surveys is available. This corrected network will be digitized and included in a future update to the repository.

There are further data sets to be added. One is hourly streamflow data, which are in the process of undergoing QA/QC by Water Survey of Canada. Others have not been included because they are still in the process of being written up for publication, including water quality data. These will be added to the data repository upon acceptance of manuscripts based on them.

2 Overview

This document provides descriptions of the data sets collected at the Upper Penticton Creek (UPC) Experimental Watersheds that have been stored in a zenodo repository.

In many cases, contributors provided their data sets in spreadsheets, many of which included metadata in header rows and embedded graphs. The first step in processing the spreadsheets was to create copies of the original spreadsheets, which were then edited. In a number of cases, the data sheets were then formatted to conform to a rectangular structure with variable names in the first row, in general accordance with principles outlined by Broman and Woo (2018).

To minimize the potential for errors associated with manual editing and copy/pasting, compilation of data from individual spreadsheets was accomplished as much as possible by reading data from spreadsheets using the read_xlsx() function from the readxl package in R (Wickham and Bryan 2019), followed by processing using functions from the tidyverse set of packages. In most cases, the final data set was stored as a comma-separated-value (csv) file, accompanied by a metadata file and/or data dictionary, following recommendations by Ellis and Leek (2018).

To facilitate searching through the files, file names begin with a prefix related to data type or source. For example, files associated with groundwater levels begin with gw_, while meteorological data sets begin with met_.

Notes

  • For spatial data sets, coordinates are provided either as longitude-latitude or as projected to UTM Zone 11 North.

  • One of the three streams is known as both Dennis Creek and 242 Creek. Here, we use the latter for consistency with the naming scheme for 240 and 241 creeks.

3 Spatial data

The names for all spatial data files begin with the prefix gs_ (for geospatial). The material below describes the data sets available in the repository.

All data processing was conducted via R scripts to ensure reproducibility. Spatial operations were conducted using functions in the raster and sf packages (R. J. Hijmans 2020; E. Pebesma 2018). Sink removal and catchment delineation were conducted by running SAGA GIS functions from within an R script via the RSAGA package (Brenning, Bangs, and Becker 2018).

3.1 File formats

Most of the spatial vector data were received as Esri shapefiles. These have been converted to file formats with open specifications that do not require multiple files per layer. All spatial vector data have been stored in the repository in the following formats:

  • GeoJSON
  • gml
  • gpkg
  • kml

When providing file names for the various layers, below, only the kml version is listed for brevity.

The kml files are in geographic (longlat) coordinates (EPSG code 4326). The other file types contain coordinates that have been projected to UTM 11 (EPSG code 32611).

At present, the only raster data are digital elevation models. These have been stored as GeoTIFF files, with the file extension .tif.

3.2 Digital elevation model with 25-m resolution

This DEM is based on the Canadian Digital Elevation Model (CDEM). The elevation data were accessed from Natural Resources Canada via the following link:

The data were downloaded at the highest resolution (0.75 arc-seconds), reprojected to UTM Zone 11 with a resolution of 25 m, and then cropped to the Water Survey of Canada catchment boundaries, with an additional 2 km buffer on all four sides.

The file name in the repository is gs_dem25.tif.

The DEM is presented as a contour map in Figure 3.1, along with catchment boundaries and weir locations for the gauging stations. These will be explained in more detail below.

Contour map based on the 25-m DEM from Natural Resources Canada, including catchment boundaries and locations of weirs

Figure 3.1: Contour map based on the 25-m DEM from Natural Resources Canada, including catchment boundaries and locations of weirs

3.3 Lidar DEMs

Lidar digital elevation data were acquired during 11 flights between Jul. 24 to Sept. 16, 2016. The point density was 9 m-2, and the models were delivered as GeoTIFF files projected to BC Albers equal area projection with 1-m resolution in both easting and northing. The horizontal accuracy is 0.3 m (two standard deviations) and the vertical accuracy is 0.15 m.

The data were provided as 28 files for an area covering the catchments of 240 and 241 creeks, and 14 files covering the catchment of 242 Creek. The elevation models were read from the individual files, resampled to a common 1-m by 1-m grid, and merged to form two files, one for 240 and 241 creeks, and one for 242 Creek, for each of the bare earth and vegetation height images. The data were then projected to UTM 11, again with 1-m by 1-m resolution.

3.3.1 Bare earth

The bare earth DEMs are in the following files.

  • gs_be240.tif - covers catchments for 240 and 241 creeks
  • gs_be242.tif - covers catchment for 242 Creek

Figures 3.2 and 3.3 show the Lidar DEMs as hillshade images with contours.

Hillshade map of 240 and 241 Creek catchments based on the 1-m-resolution LiDAR bare earth DEM

Figure 3.2: Hillshade map of 240 and 241 Creek catchments based on the 1-m-resolution LiDAR bare earth DEM

Hillshade map of 242 Creek catchment based on the 1-m-resolution LiDAR bare earth DEM

Figure 3.3: Hillshade map of 242 Creek catchment based on the 1-m-resolution LiDAR bare earth DEM

3.3.2 Vegetation height

The vegetation height data are in the following files.

  • gs_vh240.tif - covers catchments for 240 and 241 creeks
  • gs_vh242.tif - covers catchment for 242 Creek

Notes

  • There are some negative values along the boundaries of the individual tiles that were merged for both files. Users of the data may wish to change these to NA or to estimate them from surrounding values using a focal filter.

  • There are some points with vegetation heights greater than 50 m in the 242 Creek catchment, which are not realistic; these are related to Lidar returns from a wind tower located in the catchment. Users of the data may wish to set these to NA or to replace them with estimates from surrounding data using a focal filter.

  • There are also some tree heights in excess of 35 m in 241 Creek catchment, which appear unrealistic for the species and ecological zone; the maximum measured tree height is 32 m.

The images are shown in Figures 3.4 and 3.5.

Lidar vegetation heights for an area covering the catchments of 240 and 241 Creeks

Figure 3.4: Lidar vegetation heights for an area covering the catchments of 240 and 241 Creeks

Lidar vegetation heights for an area covering the catchment of 242 Creek.

Figure 3.5: Lidar vegetation heights for an area covering the catchment of 242 Creek.

3.4 Vector data

3.4.1 Catchment boundaries and weir locations

Weir locations were extracted from Water Survey of Canada metadata. Catchment boundaries were originally generated from the CDEM elevation model and were compared to catchment boundaries based on field mapping. All boundaries differed notably from those generated by a field survey, particularly for 242 Creek, where the CDEM-based boundary was substantially smaller than the surveyed boundary.

Revised catchment boundaries for all three creeks were derived from the Lidar bare earth DEM. For both digital elevation models, sinks were removed by deepening the drainage network.

Weir coordinates are available in the file gs_weirs.kml.

Catchment boundaries are available in the file gs_catchments.kml.

Figure 3.6 shows the weir locations and catchments overlaid on contour lines.

Topographic map showing catchment boundaries and weir locations.

Figure 3.6: Topographic map showing catchment boundaries and weir locations.

3.4.2 Streams and water bodies

Layers containing streams and water bodies were downloaded from the CanVec series generated by Natural Resources Canada. A description of the data sets can be found via

The data can be accessed via

Within CanVec, stream networks are contained in the layer named water_linear_flow_1.shp, while lakes, ponds and reservoirs are in the layer named waterbody_2.shp.

The data are available in the files named gs_streams.kml and gs_lakes.kml.

Figure 3.7 shows the stream and water body layers plotted over elevation contours. The large water body is Greyback Reservoir. Many of the stream segments included in the CanVec layer are ephemeral.

An important note is that the stream network near the southern boundary of 242 Creek’s catchment is notably incorrect. A corrected network based on field surveys is available. Once this corrected network is digitized, it will be included in a future update to the repository.

Stream network, lakes and reservoirs

Figure 3.7: Stream network, lakes and reservoirs

3.4.3 Roads

The road network was manually digitized within Google Earth using an image dated July 26, 2020. All roads that entered the study catchments were digitized. Outside the study catchments, only the more major roads were digitized. The manual digitization results in a somewhat simplified representation of the road network. No attempt has been made to ensure the connecting segments meet at a common point.

The data are available in the file named gs_roads.kml.

Notes

This layer is suitable for generating maps, as in Figure 3.8. However, for analyses such as determining the effects of roads on hillslope flow paths, it may be necessary to edit and/or re-digitize the network at a higher resolution, and to ensure that road segments meet at common points.

Road network

Figure 3.8: Road network

3.4.4 Clearcut boundaries

The clearcut boundaries were digitized from Google Earth by Stefan Gronsdahl and R.D. Moore. The dates of harvest were assigned to each digitized polygon by visually correlating the polygons with those on a map showing the harvesting schedule.

In the digitizing process, care was taken to follow the clearcut boundaries within the catchment boundaries. However, the extent of the clearcut areas outside the catchment boundaries may not be accurate.

This layer is available in a file named gs_harvest.kml, and is illustrated in Figure 3.9.

Clearcut boundaries with date of harvest

Figure 3.9: Clearcut boundaries with date of harvest

3.4.5 Soil units

Mapped soil units are available in a file named gs_soilmap.kml. This data set is described in detail in section 8.1.

3.4.6 Monitoring sites

Locations for all monitoring sites are in all_sites.kml. Figure 3.10 shows a map with all of the sites. For sites that lie within a harvesting unit, the date of harvesting is included, as shown in Table 3.1.

## Reading layer `all_sites' from data source `C:\Research\UPC_papers\upc_data_paper\spatial_data\clean_data\all_sites.GeoJSON' using driver `GeoJSON'
## Simple feature collection with 56 features and 3 fields
## Geometry type: POINT
## Dimension:     XY
## Bounding box:  xmin: 324878 ymin: 5498463 xmax: 329239.5 ymax: 5505148
## Projected CRS: WGS 84 / UTM zone 11N
Locations of monitoring sites

Figure 3.10: Locations of monitoring sites

Table 3.1: Summary of monitoring sites and date of harvest for sites located in harvest units
Site type Site name Harvest date
weir 240 NA
weir 241 Fall 1992
weir 242 NA
met station Cheng NA
met station P0 (Penticton) NA
met station Dennis NA
met station P1 Fall 1992
met station P3 NA
met station P5 NA
met station PB Winter 98/99
met station PC NA
met station PJ Winter 02/03
met station PK Winter 06/07
snow course UP1 Fall 1992
snow course UP2 NA
snow course UP3 NA
snow course UP4 NA
snow course UP5 NA
snow course UP7 NA
snow course UP9 Winter 98/99
snow course UP10 NA
snow course UP11 Winter 98/99
snow course UP12 NA
snow course UP13 Winter 02/03
canopy water balance P6 1999 & 2000
canopy water balance P7 NA
canopy water balance PG Winter 06/07
canopy water balance Site_D Winter 95/96
soil moisture P7 NA
soil moisture P1 Fall 1992
soil moisture A Winter 06/07
soil moisture A Winter 02/03
soil moisture B Winter 02/03
soil moisture B Winter 02/03
soil moisture C Winter 06/07
soil moisture C Winter 02/03
soil moisture D Winter 95/96
soil moisture E Fall 1992
soil piezometer P1_21154 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P2_21153 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P3_21152 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P4_32001 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P5_23387 Winter 98/99
soil piezometer P6_21155 Winter 98/99
soil piezometer P7_23391 Fall 1992
soil piezometer P8_23388 Fall 1992
soil piezometer P9_23392 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P10_23390 NA
soil piezometer P11_23389 NA
soil piezometer P12_33006 NA
soil piezometer P13_20073 Winter 02/03
soil piezometer P14_33009 NA
soil piezometer P15_33000 NA
groundwater well W1 Winter 98/99
groundwater well W2 Winter 98/99
groundwater well W3 Winter 02/03

Further details regarding the monitoring sites is provided below.

4 Streamflow data

4.1 Data collection

Streamflow is monitored by Water Survey of Canada (WSC) at weirs installed on 240, 241 and 242 creeks. Detailed information on procedures and protocols followed by WSC can be found in the following documents:

In Figure 4.1, the weir locations are indicated by inverted blue triangles and the blue lines indicate the drainage divides. The grey-filled polygons indicate clearcuts. Photographs of the weirs are provided in Appendix A.

Locations of Water Survey of Canada weirs

Figure 4.1: Locations of Water Survey of Canada weirs

Records begin in 1984 for 240 and 241 creeks and in 1985 for 242 Creek. Table 4.1 summarizes key metadata as recorded in the WSC HYDAT data base.

Table 4.1: Coordinates and drainage areas for Water Survey of Canada weirs
Station no. Station name Longitude (\(^\circ\)) Latitude (\(^\circ\)) Drainage area (km\(^2\))
08NM240 TWO FORTY CREEK NEAR PENTICTON -119.4000 49.65089 4.94
08NM241 TWO FORTY-ONE CREEK NEAR PENTICTON -119.3939 49.65004 4.50
08NM242 DENNIS CREEK NEAR 1780 METRE CONTOUR -119.3812 49.62414 3.73

All three weirs have rectangular 4-foot-wide cross-sections to accommodate high flows during the snowmelt freshet, and V-notch plates are installed following the freshet to provide greater resolution for the lower flows in late summer and autumn. Tables 4.2 and 4.3 provide details on the instruments used to record stage.

Table 4.2: Instruments used to record stage at the WSC gauging stations.
Instrument type Make Model Accuracy
float-driven chart recorder Stevens A-71 or A-35 ± 2 mm
pressure transducer Tavis DISI1200 0.1% full scale
Table 4.3: History of instruments used to record stage at the WSC gauging stations.
Station Start End Instrumentation Time resolution Real time
08NM240 1/1/1983 7/6/2010 A-35 chart recorder with float 5 min FALSE
08NM240 7/6/2010 3/23/2016 VEDAS II data logger with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 15 min with 24 hour max/min instantaneous readings FALSE
08NM240 3/23/2016 9/20/2018 FTS H2 GOES data logger with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 5 min TRUE
08NM240 9/20/2018 Present FTS H2 GOES data logger with OTT PLS transducer 5 min TRUE
08NM241 1/1/1983 10/14/2009 A-35 chart recorder with float 5 min FALSE
08NM241 10/15/2009 8/30/2016 VEDAS II data logger with GOES with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 15 min with 24 hour max/min instantaneous readings TRUE
08NM241 8/30/2016 9/20/2018 FTS H2 GOES data logger with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 5 min TRUE
08NM241 9/20/2018 Present FTS H2 GOES data logger with OTT PLS transducer 5 min TRUE
08NM242 1/1/1985 5/18/2010 A-71 chart recorder with float 5 min FALSE
08NM242 5/18/2010 3/23/2016 VEDAS II data logger with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 15 min with 24 hour max/min instantaneous readings FALSE
08NM242 3/23/2016 6/6/2019 FTS H2 GOES data logger with TAVIS DISI1210 transducer 5 min TRUE
08NM242 6/6/2019 Present FTS H2 GOES data logger with OTT PLS transducer 5 min TRUE

4.2 Data access

Because daily mean discharge values are available from the HYDAT archive, either by manual download or programmatically via the tidyhydat package in R, those data are not included in the repository.

Hourly discharge data are not available from the HYDAT archive. However, sub-daily discharge data are being generated for the Upper Penticton Creek catchments via special arrangement with WSC. These data are still undergoing QA/QC, and will be added upon completion of those procedures.

All stations provide real-time data records via telemetry, which can be accessed via the following link:

These data are provisional and subject to revision. There is typically a lag of a year or longer before final, approved data are available.

Final approved data can be retrieved manually via the following link:

They can also be accessed programmatically using functions in the tidyhydat package in the R language (Albers 2017). The following code chunk extracts data for the period of record and generates a “tidy” data set stored in a csv file. By default, the records are sorted by date; the dplyr::arrange() function is applied below to sort the records by station.

## Not run:
upc_stns <- paste0("08NM", 240:242)
upc_data <- hy_daily_flows(upc_stns) %>%
  dplyr::filter(Parameter == "Flow") %>%
  dplyr::arrange(STATION_NUMBER)

# save data file
write.csv(upc_data, here::here("wsc_data", "clean_data", "wsc_dailyflows.csv"),
          row.names = FALSE)
## End (not run)

The first six rows of the data frame are printed below to illustrate the structure.

##   STATION_NUMBER       Date Parameter Value Symbol
## 1        08NM240 1983-11-01      Flow 0.019      A
## 2        08NM240 1983-11-02      Flow 0.024   <NA>
## 3        08NM240 1983-11-03      Flow 0.030   <NA>
## 4        08NM240 1983-11-04      Flow 0.033   <NA>
## 5        08NM240 1983-11-05      Flow 0.027   <NA>
## 6        08NM240 1983-11-06      Flow 0.024   <NA>

In each record, Value provides the mean daily discharge in m3 s-1, and Symbol is a data flag that takes the values as shown in Table 4.4.

Table 4.4: Explanation of data flags associated with Water Survey of Canada data files
Code Meaning Explanation
E Estimate The symbol E indicates that there were no measured data available for the day or missing period, and the water level or streamflow value was estimated by an indirect method such as interpolation, extrapolation, comparison with other streams or by correlation with meteorological data.
A Partial Day The symbol A indicates that the daily mean value of water level or streamflow was estimated despite gaps of more than 120 minutes in the data string or missing data not significant enough to warrant the use of the E symbol.
B Ice conditions The symbol B indicates that the streamflow value was estimated with consideration for the presence of ice in the stream. Ice conditions alter the open water relationship between water levels and streamflow.
D Dry The symbol D indicates that the stream or lake is `‘dry’ or that there is no water at the gauge. This symbol is used for water level data only.
R Revised The symbol R indicates that a revision, correction or addition has been made to the historical discharge database after January 1, 1989.

See the following link for further information about data published by WSC:

5 Meteorological data

5.1 Citation

To provide credit to the researchers who acquired and processed the data, please cite R. Winkler, Spittlehouse, and Boon (2017) in any work that uses these data sets, in addition to citing this repository.

5.2 Station descriptions

Temperature and precipitation measurements with thermographs and Belfort precipitation gauges began in late 1983 at three clearcut locations located near the study catchments (Cheng, Dennis and Penticton). The station named Penticton is also called P0 to avoid confusion with similarly named regional weather stations operated by Environment and Climate Change Canada. Figure 5.1 shows station locations. Photographs of the weather stations are provided in Appendix B.

Locations of meterological stations within and near Upper Penticton Creek Experimental Watersheds

Figure 5.1: Locations of meterological stations within and near Upper Penticton Creek Experimental Watersheds

Since August 1991, multiple long-term weather stations used data loggers to record the following variables:

  • rainfall
  • air temperature and relative humidity
  • surface and soil temperature
  • incident and reflected solar radiation
  • wind speed and direction
  • snow depth and temperature

Table 5.1 provides an overview of station locations and characteristics. Where the end date is given as NA, the station is currently active, as of 2021-September-22.

Table 5.1: Overview of meteorological station locations and characteristics
Station Latitude Longitude Start date End date Output interval Location Comments
Cheng 49.61333 119.4243 1983-10-01 1991-02-28 Daily 1 km south of Greyback Reservoir in small clearcut
P0 49.64361 119.3654 1983-10-01 1991-02-26 Daily North side of Greyback Mt. Initially called Penticton
Dennis 49.62548 119.3911 1983-10-01 1991-01-28 Daily In young pine plantation, west of Dennis Creek Watershed Renamed P3 when change to data logger
P1 49.65167 119.3987 1993-11-08 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) In opening in young pine, southern end of 240 Creek watershed, near trailer Reflected radiation, snow depth and temperature from P4, Oct 1996 -Aug 2008
P3 49.62548 119.3911 1991-08-21 2009-08-18 Daily In young pine plantation, west of Dennis Creek Watershed Initially called Dennis
P4 49.65167 119.3987 1996-10-09 2009-08-20 Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Adjacent to P1 Provided reflected radiation, snow depth and temperature for P1 record
P5 49.65806 119.4031 1996-10-09 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Forest in 240 Creek watershed
P6 49.62488 119.3764 1996-10-09 1999-08-30 Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Dennis Forest, snow station and summer interception Interception measurements. Only operated during snow free season
P7 49.65588 119.3999 1997-06-26 2008-10-16 Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) 240 Creek forest rainfall interception site Interception measurements. Only operated during snow free season
P9 49.62500 119.3806 1997-10-16 1999-06-24 Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Clearcut in Dennis Creek
PB 49.67312 119.3788 1999-07-22 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Clearcut near the top of 241 Creek watershed
PC 49.67444 119.3769 1999-09-01 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Forest near the top of 241 Creek watershed
PG 49.65917 119.3942 2004-05-10 2006-09-26 Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Rainfall interception at TDR forest site A Interception measurements. Only operated during snow free season
PJ 49.65944 119.3928 2005-10-22 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Weather station at TDR clearcut site A, road by 241 weir
PK 49.65465 119.3934 2017-09-20 NA Daily, Hourly data (starting in 1997) Weather station on road by 241 weir
PL 49.66923 119.3782 2018-09-01 NA Hourly Weather station above road close to PB/PC parking

Table 5.2 below summarizes makes and models of equipment deployed at the weather stations.

Table 5.2: Makes and models of equipment deployed at the weather stations
Variable Maker Model Accuracy Quality.Control
Solar radiation - incident LiCor Inc. LI200 pyranometer ± 5% Comparison with daily clear sky values
Solar radiation - reflected Eppley B&W pyranometer ± 3 to 5% (hourly) Manual review of data
Solar radiation - reflected LiCor Inc. LI200 pyranometer ± 5% Manual review of data
Air temperature Vaisala HMP35C, HMP45C ± 0.2 °C Recalibrated every 5 years
Air humidity Vaisala HMP35C, HMP45C ± 2 % (0-90); ± 3 % (90-100) Recalibrated every 5 years
Air temperature Rotronic HC-S3 ± 0.2 °C Recalibrated every 5 years
Air humidity Rotronic HC-S3 ± 1.5 % Recalibrated every 5 years
Rainfall Sierra Misco 2401 tipping bucket ± 1.5% for 0 to 91 mm/hr Calibration with burette
Precipitation Four Seasons Stand pipe gauge with Sensotec pressure transducer ± 0.2 mm Manual measurement of depth of liquid
Snow depth Campbell Scientific UDG01, SR50, SR50A ± 1 cm or 0.4 % Comparison between sites
Wind speed MetOne 014A ± 0.11 m/s or 1.5 %; starting threshold 0.45 m/s Serviced every 5 years
Wind speed RM Young Wind Monitor 01503-10 ±0.3 m/s or 1 %; starting threshold 1 m/s Serviced every 5 years
Wind direction RM Young Wind Monitor 01503-10 ± 3° Serviced every 5 years
Snow temperature Omega thermocouple wire Chromel-constantan ± 0.1°C Manual review of data
Soil temperature Omega thermocouple wire Chromel-constantan ± 0.1°C Manual review of data
Surface temperature Apogee Instruments SI-111 ± 0.2 °C Manual review of data
Net radiation Kipp and Zonen CNR1 allwave radiometer ± 10% Manual review of data

Several weather stations were located as forest-clearcut pairs. Stations P5 and P1 were the forest and clearcut stations, respectively, at the low elevation, and PC and PB the forest and clearcut stations at the higher elevation.

A low elevation clearcut station (PJ) was established because of encroachment by regenerating trees around the P1 station. Station PK was recently installed to replace PJ as it becomes influenced by regrowth of trees around it, and PL is a potential replacement for PB.

P3 was a clearcut station adjacent to the 242 Creek watershed at the location of the earlier Dennis station. Other stations ran for 3- to 8-year periods for specific projects such as rainfall interception, soil moisture monitoring and detailed radiation balance measurements.

The daily temperature, precipitation and solar radiation data for UPC were extended back to 1970 using regressions with Environment and Climate Change Canada weather stations that overlapped with UPC measurements. Temperature, precipitation and sunshine hours were available from McCulloch (Climate ID 1124980, 49\(^\circ\) 48’ N, 119\(^\circ\) 12’ W, 1250 m, 1970-1996) about 20 km NE of UPC, and solar radiation from Summerland CDA (Climate ID 112780, 49\(^\circ\) 34’N, 119\(^\circ\) 39’ W, 454 m, 1970-2007), about 17 km SW of UPC. McCulloch was used to gap-fill missing temperature and precipitation data during 1984 to 1991. Sensor accuracy and maintenance procedures are described in Weiler et al. (2010).

The long term UPC station called P1 was designated as the reference station. A record of temperature, precipitation and solar radiation prior to its installation were obtained from the early stations (Cheng, Dennis and P0), P3 and the ECCC stations noted above. Overlapping station records were used to generate regression equations to estimate the missing values.

Encroachment of regenerating forest on P1 necessitated installation of another station (PJ) to represent clearcut temperature and wind speed. Regression equations were developed to adjust temperature, precipitation and wind speed at PJ to P1’s apparent clearcut state. This is the data set called met_dly_p1_reference.xlsx. There is no adjusted hourly data record for P1 in the archive. Daily temperature and precipitation data from Penticton A (Climate ID 1126146, 49 \(^\circ\) 27’47“N, 119 \(^\circ\) 36’08”W, 344 m), about 21 km SW of UPC, were used to check the homogeneity of the extended and measured UPC weather record.

5.3 Data files

5.3.1 Hourly data

Hourly data have been archived as as Excel spreadsheets containing all of each station’s record. The file name structure is met_hrly_px.xlsx, where px is the station name (e.g., p1 refers to station P1).

Each spreadsheet has the following worksheets:

  • Data worksheet: Hourly data as measured and gap filled for P1, PB, PJ and PK.
  • Meta worksheet: Measurements, explanation of gap filling and calculations

See the file named met_hrly_readme.txt in the repository for more information.

5.3.2 Daily data

5.3.2.1 met_dly_cdp.xlsx

This file contains daily data as Excel spreadsheets for the stations named Cheng, Dennis, Penticton (temperature and precipitation), McCulloch (temperature, precipitation and solar radiation), and Summerland (solar radiation). The latter two are Environment Canada.

The files contain all of each station’s record from for 1 October 1983 to 31 August 1991, with gap filling of temperature, precipitation and incident solar radiation.

The spreadsheet has the following worksheets:

  • Data worksheet: Daily data measured and gap filled where necessary. Monthly pivot table.
  • Monthly worksheet: Monthly data from pivot tables in Data and calculation of monthly Hargreaves reference evaporation and climatic moisture deficit.
  • MGraphs worksheet: Graphs of monthly data
  • Meta worksheet: Site location, measurements, explanation of gap filling and calculations

5.3.2.2 met_dly_px.xlsx

Daily data have been archived as as Excel spreadsheets within files named met_hrly_px.xlsx, where px is the station name (e.g., p1 refers to station P1).

Each spreadsheet has the following worksheets:

  • Data worksheet: Daily data gap measured and gap filled where necessary. Monthly and annual pivot tables.
  • Monthly worksheet: Monthly data from pivot table in Data and calculation of monthly Hargreaves reference evaporation and climatic moisture deficit.
  • MGraphs worksheet: Graphs of monthly data
  • AGraphs worksheet: Graphs of annual data
  • Meta worksheet: Measurements, explanation of gap filling and calculations

See the file named met_dly_readme.txt in the repository for more information.

6 Snow survey data

6.1 Citation

To provide credit to the investigators who collected the data sets, studies that involve the use of the snow survey data should provide a citation to R. Winkler et al. (2015), in addition to citing the data repository.

6.2 Data collection

6.2.1 Snow survey methods

Snow depths and water equivalents are measured using a standard Federal snow tube, both recorded to the nearest 1 cm. Standard Federal samplers overestimate SWE and density by 10% (Goodison et al., 1987). Recorded values have not been adjusted for this bias.

The snow surveys were initiated as part of Rita Winkler’s PhD research (R. D. Winkler 2001). From 1995 to 1997, snow was sampled at 64 stations, spaced in a 15-m by 15-m grid, at five locations in and near the UPC experimental watersheds. From 1998 to 2019, the number of stations at each location was reduced to 32, and stations at new survey sites were located on a 10-m by 10-m grid. Snow surveys are completed, within a 1-m radius of each station marker, in mid-March, on or near April 1st, and every two weeks until the end of snowmelt.

Each snow survey station is marked by a flagged bamboo pole attached to rebar secured in the ground. Snow samples are collected vertically through the snowpack to the ground using a standard Federal snow tube and weighed with a calibrated spring balance from which water equivalent, in cm, is read directly. Since 1998, some snow courses have been removed, relocated, or added as project specific objectives and forest cover have changed over time. The low and high elevation clearcut:forest pairs provide the longest continuous records at UPC.

6.2.2 Stand inventory measurements and calculations

Forest inventories were completed at each snow survey station in 1996 and 2015. Each snow survey station marker indicated the centre of a 3.99-m-radius plot (0.005 ha) within which all trees \(\geq\) 1 m tall were measured. the following attributes were recorded for each tree in the plot:

  • live tree species
  • tree condition (live or snag)
  • diameter outside bark at breast height (1.3 m above ground)
  • height
  • height to live crown
  • crown radius

The total number of stems were tallied and crown closure measured for each plot. Tree density (stems per hectare), stand basal area, crown length, crown ratio and crown volume were then calculated. Tree species mix reflects general tree form and distribution, stem descriptors represent stand structure, density, and stage of development, and the canopy variables represent the depth, volume, and extent of foliage in the stand.

Tree height (m) of the mature stands was measured using a clinometer and 30-m tape. Heights of the juvenile trees were measured using a height pole. Tree dbh (cm) was measured with a diameter tape. Basal area per tree (m2) was calculated from the dbh assuming trees were circular in cross-section. Crown length (m) was measured using a clinometer in the same way as tree height. Crown length (Lc) (m) was assumed to extend from the top of the tree to the base of the live crown, taken as the lowest whorl of branches with green foliage. Crown ratio (m/m) was calculated as crown length divided by total tree height. Crown radius (m) was measured from the stem to the projected outermost margin of the crown in the four cardinal directions. Crown area (Ac) (m2) was then estimated using the average crown radius and calculating the area of a circle with this radius. Crown volume (Vc) (m3) was estimated assuming that the crown shape approximated that of a cone (Mawson, Thomas, and DeGraaf 1976), and was calculated as:

\[\begin{equation} \tag{6.1} V_c = \frac{A_c L_c}{3} \end{equation}\]

Crown length to crown base area ratio was calculated for each tree as an indicator of the amount of snow intercepting surface (Bunnell, McNay, and Shank 1985).

Crown closure over each plot was measured using a “moosehorn,” which is constructed of a short length of 7.5-cm-diameter plastic pipe. The pipe has an eye-piece at the bottom, an internal mirror and a grid of dots at the top. The moosehorn is held up to the eye and the number of dots falling on open spaces counted. The proportion of dots representing either openings, or crown closure, is then calculated. This instrument has been used by other researchers as a simple method of obtaining consistent estimates of crown closure where narrow angles of view are likely to be the most appropriate (Bunnell and Vales 1989). In this study, dots were counted while facing in each of the four main compass bearings around the snow survey station marker. The results were then averaged and crown closure were reported as a percent.

Individual tree measurements were totalled or averaged, depending on the variable, to obtain values for each plot. The characteristics summarized for each plot were: species mix, total stems, total stems by species, total number of live stems, total number of snags, average tree height, average diameter, total basal area of all species, average height to live crown, average crown length, average crown ratio, total crown base area, average height to base ratio, total crown surface area, total crown volume, and crown closure.

In addition to the measurements described above, canopy photos were taken under overcast skies using a Nikon 4500 camera with a FC-E8 fisheye lens converter. The camera was levelled with a bubble level on the lens cap and oriented so that the top of each image was north. Photography and analysis were completed by the same person. Threshold selection for binarizing the blue channel was automated using SideLook 1.1.01 (Nobis and Hunziker, 2005). Bitmap images were compared with the original photo, and contrast in the original image was adjusted in a few cases. Plant area index (needles, branches, and stems) and percent transmittance during snowmelt (April 1 to May 15) were determined using Gap Light Analyser 2.0 (Frazer, Canham & Lertzman., 1999).

6.2.3 Station locations and forest type

Table 6.1 below provides location coordinates and forest type for each snow course.

Table 6.1: Locations and forest type for each snow course. “MF” = mature forest; “CC” = clearcut, “YF” = young forest
Snow course Latitude (\(^\circ\)) Longitude (\(^\circ\)) Forest cover
UP1 49.65508 -119.3969 CC/YF
UP2 49.65907 -119.4024 MF
UP3 49.62808 -119.4072 CC
UP4 49.63283 -119.4052 MF
UP5 49.62122 -119.4072 YF
UP7 49.65543 -119.4004 MF
UP9 49.67285 -119.3794 CC/YF
UP10 49.67398 -119.3769 MF
UP11 49.66348 -119.3812 CC
UP12 49.66478 -119.3825 MF
UP13 49.65962 -119.3928 CC/YF

Figure 6.1 shows the locations of the snow courses. Photographs of select sites are provided in Appendix C.

Locations of snow courses

Figure 6.1: Locations of snow courses

Five of the snow courses sample harvested sites. The dates of harvest are shown in Table 6.2.

Table 6.2: Harvest dates for snow courses in cutblocks
Snow course Harvest date
UP1 Fall 1992
UP3 Before 1994
UP9 Winter 98/99
UP11 Winter 98/99
UP13 Winter 02/03

6.3 Data files

There are four files associated with the snow survey data.

6.3.1 swe_snowcourse_coords.csv

This file contains the nominal latitudes and longitudes for each snow course, as well as the vegetation cover type. The first six lines are shown below.

##   Snowcourse      Lat      Long Cover
## 1        UP1 49.65508 -119.3969 CC/YF
## 2        UP2 49.65907 -119.4024    MF
## 3        UP3 49.62808 -119.4072    CC
## 4        UP4 49.63283 -119.4052    MF
## 5        UP5 49.62122 -119.4072    YF
## 6        UP7 49.65543 -119.4004    MF

6.3.2 swe_snowcourse_data.csv

This file contains the actual snow survey measurements at each station. The file is in long format, with each row providing the data for one station on one sampling date. The first six lines are provided below.

##     Loc Site Station Cover Year DOY SWE Depth Density
## 1 240Cr  UP1       1    CC 1995   4  25    80    31.3
## 2 240Cr  UP1       2    CC 1995   4  25    89    28.1
## 3 240Cr  UP1       3    CC 1995   4  28    92    30.4
## 4 240Cr  UP1       4    CC 1995   4  22    81    27.2
## 5 240Cr  UP1       5    CC 1995   4  30    95    31.6
## 6 240Cr  UP1       6    CC 1995   4  32    92    34.8

Figure 6.2 shows time-series of mean SWE by snow course to illustrate the temporal coverage and general range of variability among snow course sites. Measurements are joined by lines to assist visual interpretation of the temporal patterns.

Time series of mean SWE by snow course

Figure 6.2: Time series of mean SWE by snow course

6.3.3 swe_tree_data.csv and swe_tree_variables.csv

These files contain the tree measurements for each station. The data are contained in swe_tree_data.csv; the first six lines of the first 10 columns are shown below.

##   snow_course station forest_cover leading_species bec_variant elev_m
## 1         UP1       1           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
## 2         UP1       2           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
## 3         UP1       3           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
## 4         UP1       4           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
## 5         UP1       5           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
## 6         UP1       6           CC                     ESSFdc1   1580
##   year_of_msmt cc_ocular cc_mh total_stems_ha
## 1         1995         0     0              0
## 2         1995         0     0              0
## 3         1995         0     0              0
## 4         1995         0     0              0
## 5         1995         0     0              0
## 6         1995         0     0              0

The contents of swe_tree_variables.csv is shown in Table 6.3.

Table 6.3: Contents of file swe_tree_variables.csv
Variable Name
Snow course snow_course
Station station
Forest cover forest_cover
Leading Species leading_species
BEC variant bec_variant
Elev (m) elev_m
Year of tree meas year_of_msmt
Crown closure ocular (%) cc_ocular
Crown closure moosehorn (%) cc_mh
Total stems per ha (live & dead all sizes) total_stems_ha
Total live stems per ha live_stems_ha
Live stems per ha dom/codom live_stems_ha_com_codom
Live stems per ha interm/sup live_stems_ha_interm_sup
Total dead stems per ha dead_stems_ha
Dead stems per ha dom/codom dead_stems_ha_dom_codom
Dead stems per ha interm/sup dead_stems_ha_interm_sup
Total basal area per ha (live & dead) (m2) basal_area_m2_ha
Basal area live per ha (m2) live_basal_m2_ha
Average DBH (cm) including trees 1-1.3 m tall dbh_cm_with_100_130_cm
Average DBH (cm) not including trees 1-1.3 m tall dbh_cm_wo_100_130_cm
Average DBH (cm) dom/codoms dbh_com_codom
Avg tree height (HT) (m) tree_height_m
Avg ht dom/codoms (m) tree_height_m_dom_codom
Avg ht interm/sup (m) tree_height_m_interm_sup
Height to live crown (m) height_live_crown_m
Crown length (CL) (m) crown_length_m
Crown ratio (CL/HT) crown_ratio

7 Canopy water balance

7.1 Data collection

Throughfall and stemflow were measured at four sites as listed in Table 7.1. Site D is located in conjunction with one of the sites at which soil moisture is monitored. Photographs of the sites are provided in Appendix B.

Table 7.1: Sites at which the canopy water balance was monitored
Site Longitude (\(^\circ\)) Latitude (\(^\circ\)) Elevation (m) Forest type Period of record
P6 -119.3764 49.62488 1810 Engelmann spruce subalpine fir forest in 242 Watershed 1997-1998
P7 -119.3999 49.65588 1637 Lodgepole pine forest in 240 Watershed 1997-2008 (no data 2002)
PG -119.3940 49.65938 1668 Lodgepole pine with some subalpine fir forest in 241 Watershed 2004-2006
Site_D -119.3746 49.62570 1777 25 year-old (in 2004) lodgepole pine stand 2004-2006

Site locations are shown Figure 7.1 as filled red circles.

Locations of monitoring sites for the canopy water balance

Figure 7.1: Locations of monitoring sites for the canopy water balance

7.2 Measurements

Measurements started after snowmelt, usually late May, and terminated in September or early October.

Measurements at sites P6, P7 and PG were based on data recorded by data loggers, as described in Table 7.2.

Table 7.2: Summary of canopy water balance measurements at sites P6, P7 and PG
Measurement Explanation
Rainfall Tipping bucket (nominally 0.254 mm/tip) monitored by a data logger in a clearcut or opening within 200 m of the throughfall and stemflow site, output every 30 mins
Throughfall Average of 5 troughs, each approximately 6 m long by 0.1 m wide, emptying into tipping buckets (nominally 32 mm/tip) monitored by data logger every 30 mins
Stemflow Average of 5 collars on trees emptying into tipping buckets (nominally 32 mm /tip) monitored by data logger and adjusted for stem density
Interception loss Computed as Rainfall - Throughfall - Stemflow

The five throughfall troughs all drained into a tipping bucket gauge at a random location in the central part of the plot, from which the troughs radiate out at randomly generated azimuth angles. Stemflow trees were chosen somewhat randomly but with a goal of sampling the range of diameters within the plot. Figures 7.2 and 7.3 illustrate the instrumentation set-up for sites P6 and P7, respectively.

Map of P6 site showing instrumentation layout. The squares marked S1 to S5 indicate locations of trees for which stemflow was measured.

Figure 7.2: Map of P6 site showing instrumentation layout. The squares marked S1 to S5 indicate locations of trees for which stemflow was measured.

Map of P7 site showing instrumentation layout. The circles indicate the horizontal projections of the tree crowns.

Figure 7.3: Map of P7 site showing instrumentation layout. The circles indicate the horizontal projections of the tree crowns.

Data at Site D were based on measurements of throughfall and stemflow as captured by storage gauges (Table 7.3), which were measured manually with a graduated cylinder. Measurements are totals for the period between the current and previous measurement dates.

Table 7.3: Canopy water balance measurements made at site D
Measurement Explanation
Rainfall Tipping bucket (nominally 0.254 mm/tip) recorded by data logger at the adjacent P3 weather station
Throughfall 28 plastic bottles with 100-mm-diameter funnels as orifices
Stemflow Collars on 5 trees emptying into storage container
Interception loss Computed as Rainfall - Throughfall - Stemflow

At Site D, the throughfall gauges were arranged in a 4 by 7 regular grid with 5-m spacing. The grid points were generated using a random start point.

7.3 Data files

The data have been aggregated into total rainfall (mm), throughfall (mm) and stemflow (mm) for individual storms, where a storm has been defined by a period of steady rainfall separated by at least two hours with no rain.

There are two files associated with these data, described below.

7.3.1 il_site_info.csv

This file contains coordinates (longitude and latitude) and a brief description of each site, including the forest cover and years of record. The top six rows of the data frame are shown below to illustrate the file structure.

##     site      long      lat elevation
## 1     P6 -119.3764 49.62488      1810
## 2     P7 -119.3999 49.65588      1637
## 3     PG -119.3940 49.65938      1668
## 4 Site_D -119.3746 49.62570      1777
##                                                       forest_type
## 1          Engelmann spruce subalpine fir forest in 242 Watershed
## 2                         Lodgepole pine forest  in 240 Watershed
## 3  Lodgepole pine with some subalpine fir forest in 241 Watershed
## 4                      25 year-old (in 2004) lodgepole pine stand
##                 data_period
## 1                 1997-1998
## 2  1997-2008 (no data 2002)
## 3                2004-2006 
## 4               2004-2006

7.3.2 il_data.csv

This file contains the data, and is in long format. The first six rows are shown below to illustrate the file structure.

##   site year storm            start_dt              end_dt             drip_dt
## 1   p6 1997     3 1997-08-06 20:00:00 1997-08-06 20:30:00 1997-08-06 21:30:00
## 2   p6 1997     4 1997-08-07 23:30:00 1997-08-08 02:00:00 1997-08-08 03:30:00
## 3   p6 1997     5 1997-08-20 15:30:00 1997-08-20 16:30:00 1997-08-20 19:30:00
## 4   p6 1997     6 1997-08-20 20:30:00 1997-08-21 02:00:00 1997-08-21 18:00:00
## 5   p6 1997     7 1997-08-23 04:00:00 1997-08-23 08:30:00 1997-08-23 10:00:00
## 6   p6 1997     8 1997-08-23 15:30:00 1997-08-23 16:30:00 1997-08-23 17:00:00
##    ppt   tf sf   il comment
## 1 0.80 0.16  0 0.64        
## 2 4.01 1.78  0 2.23        
## 3 2.94 2.13  0 0.81        
## 4 4.81 3.44  0 1.37        
## 5 4.00 2.47  0 1.53        
## 6 0.80 0.39  0 0.41

Table 7.4 provides explanations for the variables in the data set.

Table 7.4: Explanation of variables in the canopy water balance data set
Variable name Explanation
storm Number of storm in that year
start_dt Start of rainfall
end_dt End of rainfall
drip_dt Time at which canopy drip ceased
ppt Total open-site rainfall (mm)
tf Total below-canopy throughfall (mm)
sf Total stemflow (mm)
il Interception loss (mm)
comment Comment

For sites P6, P7 and PG, for observations with the same start and end times for a storm, all the precipitation fell within one 30-minute time interval.

For Site D, for which aggregated values were measured between site visits, the value of start_dt was assigned as 12:00:00 on the date of the previous visit, and end_dt was assigned as 12:00:00 on the date of the current visit.

Under comment some observations have a value of “snow,” which indicates that some snow fell during the event, such that the values entail greater uncertainty than others for which all precipitation fell as rain. Figure 7.4 shows the relations between interception loss and gross precipitation. Linear regression fits are shown as blue lines.

Relations between interception and gross precipitation at each canopy water balance site.

Figure 7.4: Relations between interception and gross precipitation at each canopy water balance site.

8 Soil characteristics

8.1 Soil mapping

Dr. Graeme Hope, P.Ag. (Soil Scientist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Research Operations and Rural Development) conducted soil surveys that led to the soils map shown in Figure 8.1. Descriptions of the mapped units are provided in Table 8.1.

The soil unit polygons were originally provided as two shapefiles, one for 240 and 241 creeks, and one for 242 Creek. The files were transformed from BC Albers to UTM 11 and combined into a single simple features object, which included the soil unit descriptions as attributes for each polygon. They were then saved as spatial vector files for inclusion in the data repository.

The data are included in two files, listed below.

  • gs_soilmaps.kml - contains the polygons along with the soil unit descriptions for each polygon
  • soil_classes.csv - contains the soil unit descriptions

Note that, as mentioned in section 3.1, spatial data are stored in four formats, not just kml.

Soil units as mapped by Graeme Hope

Figure 8.1: Soil units as mapped by Graeme Hope

Table 8.1: Characteristics of mapped soil units
Class label Soil class Slope (%) Depth (m) Description
1 Bedrock bedrock and isolated pockets of very shallow soil
2 Orthic Humo Ferric Podzol and Dystric Brunisol 5 - 40 2 - 4 morainal; gravelly, cobbly and stony; sandy loam over loamy sand; well and moderately well drained
2d Orthic Humo Ferric Podzol and Dystric Brunisol 5 - 40 > 4 morainal; gravelly, cobbly and stony; sandy loam over loamy sand; well and moderately well drained
2s Orthic Humo Ferric Podzol and Dystric Brunisol 5 - 40 1 - 2 morainal; gravelly, cobbly and stony; sandy loam over loamy sand; well and moderately well drained
2vs Orthic Humo Ferric Podzol and Dystric Brunisol 5 - 40 0.1 - 1 morainal; gravelly, cobbly and stony; sandy loam over loamy sand; well and moderately well drained
2w Orthic Humo Ferric Podzol and Dystric Brunisol 0 - 30 2 - 4 imperfectly drained; gleyed
3 Orthic and Eluviated Dystric Brunisol 0 - 40 2 - 4 glaciofluvial; gravelly, cobbly and stony: sandy loam over loamy sand and sandy loam; rapidly drained
3d Orthic and Eluviated Dystric Brunisol 0 - 40 > 4 glaciofluvial; gravelly, cobbly and stony: sandy loam over loamy sand and sandy loam; rapidly drained
3w Orthic and Eluviated Dystric Brunisol 0 – 10 2 - 4 moderately well and imperfectly drained; may be gleyed
4 Gleyed Regosol and Rego Gleysol 0 - 5 2 - 4 fluvial over glaciofluvial and morainal: gravelly, cobbly and stony; silt loam over sandy loam and loamy sand; imperfectly drained
4d Gleyed Regosol and Rego Gleysol 0 - 5 > 4 fluvial over glaciofluvial and morainal: gravelly, cobbly and stony; silt loam over sandy loam and loamy sand; imperfectly drained
4w Gleysol and Mesisol 0- 5 2 - 4 intermixed fluvial and organic surface layers; some organic horizons; poorly drained

8.2 Soil properties

Soil pits were dug at the sites that were monitored for the canopy water balance and soil moisture content. Soil water retention characteristics and associated physical properties were based on soil cores approximately 2 cm deep and 5 cm diameter that taken from soil pits and analysed in a laboratory.

There are three data sets, described below.

8.2.1 Soil bulk density

The data set is in a file named soil_bulk_density.csv. The first six rows are shown below.

##   site pit sample_id depth_cm horizon fine whole porosity coarse sample_date
## 1   P7   1     F-1-1    3.5-0     LFH   NA  0.27     80.6    0.0 summer 1997
## 2   P7   1     F-1-2     0-10   A + B 0.41  0.54     77.8    5.9 summer 1997
## 3   P7   1     F-1-3    10-20       B 0.74  0.90     63.3    8.3 summer 1997
## 4   P7   1     F-1-4   20- 35       B 0.96  1.31     46.3   26.6 summer 1997
## 5   P7   1     F-1-6    35-55       C 1.29  1.66     36.3   26.9 summer 1997
## 6   P7   1     F-1-8    55-75       C 1.37  1.87     28.2   70.0 summer 1997
##   comments
## 1     <NA>
## 2     <NA>
## 3     <NA>
## 4     <NA>
## 5     <NA>
## 6     <NA>

The variables in the data set are described in Table 8.2.

Table 8.2: Description of variables in the soil bulk density data set.
Variable Description
site site name
pit pit number (digit) - most sites have only one, but some have two
sample_id identifier for specific soil sample
depth_cm depth range for sample (cm)
horizon horizon description
fine bulk density (g/cm\(^{3}\)) of fine fraction
whole bulk density (g/cm\(^{3}\)) of total soil volume
porosity porosity as a % of total soil volume
coarse coarse fraction as a % by mass
sample_date date of sample collection
comments any additional information

8.2.2 Water retention curve characteristics

The data set is in a file named soil_wrc. The first six rows are shown below.

##        site pit depth  rep sample_id porosity    vwc_5   vwc_10   vwc_33
## 1 P7 forest   1   1.5 <NA>      F3-2 81.97207 45.37106 39.89719 23.81416
## 2 P7 forest   1   1.5 <NA>      F3-3 68.60032 41.59014 34.76191 24.12454
## 3 P7 forest   1   8.5 <NA>     F3-10 63.12970 35.77768 30.47310 20.90793
## 4 P7 forest   1  12.5 <NA>      F3-4 66.67973 40.85653 33.71792 22.17765
## 5 P7 forest   1  18.5 <NA>      F3-5 62.23584 41.08226 34.93120 21.83906
## 6 P7 forest   1  18.5 <NA>      F3-6 59.03362 38.68391 31.65817 19.24320
##    vwc_100   vwc_300 vwc_1500 particle_density bulk_density    k_sat campbell_b
## 1 20.51291 12.217456 8.916204         1785.800     321.9427 54.57970   3.317332
## 2 19.69465 12.414967 9.057283         2303.118     723.1718 42.47832   3.627829
## 3 14.39008  9.734463 7.195038         2493.259     919.2719 12.55041   3.357778
## 4 15.06726 10.609154 7.956865         2460.821     819.9522 27.31632   3.294649
## 5 14.61580 10.129485 7.872218         2510.454     948.0520 20.67777   3.184438
## 6 13.00750  9.141930 6.856448         2503.628    1025.6456 26.12535   3.093873
##   air_entry_value aeration_porosity_5 aeration_porosity_10  aws_cap sample_date
## 1       0.7544653            36.60101             42.07488 14.89796 summer 1997
## 2       0.8302286            27.01018             33.83841 15.06726 summer 1997
## 3       0.7701411            27.35203             32.65660 13.71290 summer 1997
## 4       0.9328609            25.82320             32.96180 14.22078 summer 1997
## 5       1.2958314            21.15358             27.30464 13.96684 summer 1997
## 6       1.2245999            20.34971             27.37546 12.38675 summer 1997
##                       lab comments
## 1 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>
## 2 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>
## 3 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>
## 4 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>
## 5 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>
## 6 SoilCon Labs, Vancouver     <NA>

The variables in the data set are described in Table 8.3.

Table 8.3: Description of variables in the water retention curve data set.
Variable Description
site site name
pit pit number (digit) - most sites have only one, but some have two
depth depth range for sample (cm)
rep identifies replicate samples at a given depth
sample_id identifier for specific soil sample at a given depth
porosity porosity as a % of total soil volume
vwc_5 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 5 J/kg
vwc_10 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 10 J/kg
vwc_33 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 33 J/kg
vwc_100 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 100 J/kg
vwc_300 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 300 J/kg
vwc_1500 volumetric water content (%) at a tension of 1500 J/kg
particle_density particle density (g/m\(^3\))
bulk_density bulk density (g/cm\(^{3}\)) of the coarse fraction
k_sat saturated hydraulic conductivity (cm/hr)
campbell_b Campbell’s b parameter
air_entry_value air entry tension (J/kg)
aeration_porosity_5 aeration porosity (% of soil volume) at a tension of 5 J/kg
aeration_porosity_10 aeration porosity (% of soil volume) at a tension of 10 J/kg
aws_cap difference between field capacity and wilting point (% by volume)
sample_date date sample was taken
lab laboratory that performed the analysis
comments any additional information

8.2.3 Soil pit description

A soil profile is available from one pit dug at site P7, which was described by Graeme Hope on Oct. 2, 2002. The parent material was described as glacio-fluvial veneer over glacial till. The profile description is provided in Table 8.4.

Table 8.4: Soil profile description for a pit dug at site P7
Horizon Depth (cm) Description
LF 2 – 0 loose, acerose, very few fine roots
Bm 0 – 26 sandy loam, 20% gravel, 5% cobble; friable, weak subangular blocky structure; abundant medium and plentiful fine and coarse roots
Bm2 26 – 38 coarse sandy loam, 30% gravel and 5% cobble; loose, single grained, plentiful medium and fine roots
BC 38 – 61 loamy sand, 23% gravel and 2% cobble; loose, single grained, few fine and very fine roots
IIC 61 – 71+ loamy sand, 30% gravel and 5% cobble, slightly compact in situ, very few very fine roots; rooting to 61 cm

Summary information from soil pits at sites P1, P7, and A to E is provided in the file soil_pit_description.csv. The first six lines are shown below to illustrate the file structure.

##   site pit depth          description          roots texture coarse_fragments
## 1   P7   1 3.5-0                  LFH           <NA>    <NA>               NA
## 2   P7   1   0-2                    A           <NA>    <NA>               NA
## 3   P7   1  2-30                    B Roots to 30 cm    <NA>               NA
## 4   P7   1 30-75                    C           <NA>    <NA>               NA
## 5   P7   1   75+ crushed rock at base           <NA>    <NA>               NA
## 6   P7   2 0.5-0                  LFH           <NA>    <NA>               NA
##   sample_date             comments
## 1 summer 1997                 <NA>
## 2 summer 1997              Ah + Ae
## 3 summer 1997           red/orange
## 4 summer 1997 yellow, large stones
## 5 summer 1997                 <NA>
## 6 summer 1997                 <NA>

The variables in the data set are described in Table 8.5.

Table 8.5: Description of soil horizons or layers in soil pits.
Variable Description
site site name
pit pit number (digit) - most sites have only one, but some have two
depth depth range for sample (cm)
description description of horizon/layer
roots comment related to vertical extent of roots
texture soil textural class
coarse_fragments coarse fraction as % by mass
sample_date date sample was taken
comments any additional information

9 Soil moisture

9.1 Citation

Anyone using the soil moisture data should cite Spittlehouse (2000) to provide credit to the contributor of the data set.

9.2 Methods

Manual measurements were made using a Moisturepoint MP917 time domain reflectometer. Data are reported as volumetric water content (m3 water per m3 soil). Probes consisted of a pair of 3-mm-diameter stainless steel rods 30 mm apart, which were connected to the MP917 through 0.04 m of two-conductor cable, a shorting diode and 3 m of RG-6 coaxial cable.

Measurements were made from the surface to depths of 150 mm, 300 mm and 500 mm. All sites have measurements for 0-500 mm and some also have the other depths.

At each site, measurements were made at 10 points along a transect, with sample points 5 to 20 m apart depending on site. At sites P1 and P7, measurements from 1997 to 2001 had a pair of measurement points about 2 m apart at each transect point, for a total of 20 points per transect.

9.3 Site characteristics

Site characteristics are summarized in Table 9.1. Their locations are shown in Figure 9.1.

Table 9.1: Summary of sites at which soil moisture was measured. For clearcut and regeneration sites, Stand age corresponds to the given value of Year.
Site Type Start year End year Latitude (\(^\circ\)) Longitude (\(^\circ\)) Elevation (m) Year Stand age (yr) Comments
P7 Forest 1997 2006 49.65588 -119.3999 1637 NA NA Lodepole pine forest - location of interception measurements - in 240 watershed
P1 Regeneration 1997 2006 49.65528 -119.3977 1646 1997 5 Regenerating stand (5 years old in 1997) with lodgepole pine and spruce saplings and grasses and shrubs adjacent to 240 watershed
A Forest 2003 2006 49.65938 -119.3940 1668 NA NA Lodgepole pine and some subalpine fir, location of PG interception measurements
A Clearcut 2003 2006 49.65944 -119.3928 1675 2003 0 Clearcut intially bare soil with few shrubs and planted lodgepole pine seedlings
B Forest 2003 2006 49.65274 -119.3820 1675 NA NA Lodgepole pine and some subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce in 241 watershed
B Clearcut 2003 2006 49.65309 -119.3819 1675 2003 0 Clearcut intially bare soil with few shrubs and planted lodgepole pine seedlings in 241 watershed
C Forest 2003 2006 49.66110 -119.3761 1720 NA NA Lodgepole pine and some subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce inj 241 watershed
C Clearcut 2003 2006 49.66125 -119.3787 1703 2003 0 Clearcut intially bare soil with few shrubs and planted lodgepole pine seedlings in 241 watershed
D Forest 2004 2006 49.62570 -119.3746 1777 2004 25 25 year-old (in 2004) lodgepole pine stand
E Regeneration 2005 2006 49.65119 -119.3730 1628 2005 10 Regeneration 10 years old in 2005 with 2-m-tall lodgepole pine and some Engelmann spruce , south eastern edge of 241 Creek watershed.
Locations of monitoring sites for soil moisture

Figure 9.1: Locations of monitoring sites for soil moisture

9.4 Data

The data are stored in long format in a csv file. Each row contains the mean value for each combination of site, date and depth range, as seen below.

##   year doy       date    sm site depth         type
## 1 1997 176 1997-06-25 0.204   p1   150 regeneration
## 2 1997 189 1997-07-08 0.180   p1   150 regeneration
## 3 1997 196 1997-07-15 0.194   p1   150 regeneration
## 4 1997 202 1997-07-21 0.174   p1   150 regeneration
## 5 1997 212 1997-07-31 0.192   p1   150 regeneration
## 6 1997 216 1997-08-04 0.177   p1   150 regeneration

Figure 9.2 illustrates the temporal variability.

Time series of measured soil moisture. The strip label indicates site, type and depth range.

Figure 9.2: Time series of measured soil moisture. The strip label indicates site, type and depth range.

9.5 Files

The data and metadata are stored in the repositories in files named sm_data.csv and sm_sites.csv, respectively.

10 Vegetation data

In addition to the LiDAR-derived vegetation height map (section 3.3.2) and the forest stand data measured in conjunction with the snow courses (section 6.3.3), vegetation surveys were conducted at the sites at which canopy water balance and soil moisture content were monitored. There are three data sets.

10.1 Forest characteristics

Basic forest characteristics are provided in the file veg_forest_characteristics.csv, which is shown below.

##     site canopy_cover stem_density height
## 1     P1           25           NA    1-2
## 2     P6           45         1470  20-24
## 3     P7           40          720  20-24
## 4 Site A           51         3200   <NA>
## 5 Site B           37         4600   <NA>
## 6 Site C           63         4000   <NA>
## 7 Site D           80         1400   7-11
## 8 Site E           NA           NA    1-2
##                                                  species
## 1  Lodgepole pine with Engleman spruce and subalpine fir
## 2 Engleman spruce with  subalpine fir and lodgepole pine
## 3                                         Lodgepole pine
## 4                  Lodgepole pine and  few subalpine fir
## 5                  Lodgepole pine and  few subalpine fir
## 6                  Lodgepole pine and  few subalpine fir
## 7                  Lodgepole pine and  few subalpine fir
## 8                    Lodgepole pine with Engleman spruce

Table 10.1 provides descriptions of the variables. See section 6.2.2 for a description of a moosehorn for measurement of canopy closure.

Table 10.1: Description of variables describing forest stand characteristics at monitoring sites.
Variable name Description
site site name
canopy_cover canopy closure (%) as measured by a moosehorn
stem_density tree density in stems per ha
height tree height (m)
species tree species

10.2 Transmissivity and leaf-area index

Transmissivity and leaf-area index were determined from hemispherical photos take at 1 m height in 2004. The data are summarized in Table 10.2. Transmissivities for direct solar radiation were computed for March 21 and June 21, and are given in % of clear-sky radiation for each date.

Table 10.2: Summary of canopy transmissivity (\(\tau\)) and leaf-area index measurements at monitoring sites. The values given are mean (standard deviation).
Site Diffuse \(\tau\) Direct \(\tau\) (Mar. 21) Direct \(\tau\) (Jun. 21) Leaf-area index Number of photographs
P1 89.7 (6) 81.1 (11.6) 88.6 (9.9) 0.5 (0.2) 7
P6 NA NA NA NA NA
P7 29.2 (2.7) 13.1 (5.6) 25.8 (6.8) 2.4 (0.3) 18
Site A forest 23.5 (2.6) 9.2 (3.3) 21.7 (4.6) 2.5 (0.2) 13
Site B forest 25.7 (0.9) 2.8 (1.6) 19.9 (3.6) 2.6 (0.1) 5
Site C forest 18.8 (1.1) 5.6 (6.9) 15.0 (4.6) 3.0 (0.1) 7
Site D 31.0 (7.9) 17.1 (14.1) 28.8 (14.3) 2.6 (0.3) 16
Site E NA NA NA NA NA

The data have been wrangled into a long format data file with separate columns for the mean, standard deviation and sample size for each variable and site. The file is named veg_tl_data.csv. The first 16 lines are shown below to illustrate the file structure.

##             site        var_name mean st_dev  n
## 1             P1      trans_diff 89.7    6.0  7
## 2             P6      trans_diff   NA     NA NA
## 3             P7      trans_diff 29.2    2.7 18
## 4  Site A forest      trans_diff 23.5    2.6 13
## 5  Site B forest      trans_diff 25.7    0.9  5
## 6  Site C forest      trans_diff 18.8    1.1  7
## 7         Site D      trans_diff 31.0    7.9 16
## 8         Site E      trans_diff   NA     NA NA
## 9             P1 trans_dir_mar21 81.1   11.6  7
## 10            P6 trans_dir_mar21   NA     NA NA
## 11            P7 trans_dir_mar21 13.1    5.6 18
## 12 Site A forest trans_dir_mar21  9.2    3.3 13
## 13 Site B forest trans_dir_mar21  2.8    1.6  5
## 14 Site C forest trans_dir_mar21  5.6    6.9  7
## 15        Site D trans_dir_mar21 17.1   14.1 16
## 16        Site E trans_dir_mar21   NA     NA NA

10.3 Below-canopy cover

Below-canopy vegetation cover was measured in October 2006 along line transects at each monitoring site. The data are in the file named veg_bc_data.csv, shown below

##               site cover_shgs cover_ml cover_ls lai
## 1       P1 Regen10         60       10       31 0.8
## 2        P6 Forest         NA       NA       NA  NA
## 3        P7 Forest         51       23       26 0.7
## 4    Site A Forest         61        9       29 0.8
## 5    Site B Forest         36        6       58 0.5
## 6    Site C Forest         42        8       50 0.5
## 7  Site A Clearcut         41        3       56 0.4
## 8  Site B Clearcut         32        4       63 0.4
## 9  Site C Clearcut         51        0       48 0.6
## 10  Site D Regen25         26       19       55 0.3
## 11  Site E Regen10         37       10       53 0.5

Table 10.3 provides descriptions of the variables.

Table 10.3: Description of variables describing below-canopy vegetation at monitoring sites.
Variable name Description
site site name
cover_shgs % ground covered by shrubs, herbs, grasses, seedlings
cover_ml % ground covered by mosses or lichen
cover_ls % ground covered by litter or mineral soil
lai leaf-area index of below-canopy cover

11 Groundwater data

Water levels have been recorded in both shallow piezometers within the soil layer, as well as in deeper wells drilled into the bedrock. All wells and piezometers are within the 241 Creek catchment. Photographs of a piezometer and a well site are provided in Appendix D.

11.1 Citation

To provide credit to the investigators who collected the data sets, studies that involve the use of the soil piezometer data should provide a citation to Kuraś, Weiler, and Alila (2008) and Voeckler, Allen, and Alila (2014), in addition to citing the data repository.

Studies that involve the use of data from the drilled wells should cite Voeckler, Allen, and Alila (2014), in addition to citing the data repository.

11.2 Soil piezometer data

11.2.1 Data collection

Nine of the shallow piezometers were originally installed in 2005 as part of a study reported by Kuraś, Weiler, and Alila (2008), and six were added in 2007 (Voeckler, Allen, and Alila 2014). Piezometers extend to depths between 0.70 and 1.3 m below the top of the A horizon, and there is a 0.01-m gap between the bottom of the piezometer and the sensor.

As described by Kuraś (2006), piezometers were constructed from open-ended 32-mm-outside-diameter PVC pipe, with 6.35-mm-diameter holes drilled around the circumference up to a length of 30 cm from the bottom. This perforated portion of the pipe was covered with fine-meshed gauze to inhibit sediment influx. Piezometers were installed prior to the spring snowmelt. Piezometer tubes were installed in hand-augered holes that extended below the pre-melt-season water table. After emplacing the pipe in the hole, the space surrounding the tube was backfilled with fine gravel to a level 10-15 cm below the soil surface. A layer of bentonite clay was then added above the gravel to seal the hole from surface runoff.

Water levels were recorded using Odyssey Capacitance Water Level Probes (Data Flow Systems Pty Ltd, Christchurch, New Zealand), which have a vertical resolution of 0.8 mm resolution. Recording intervals varied from 10 to 30 minutes through the period of record, and were not synchronized among loggers.

Table 11.1 summarizes the coordinates and depths (relative to top of the A horizon) for the soil piezometers. Note that many location coordinates were taken from a handheld GPS. The elevations for those sites may not be sufficiently accurate for many purposes.

Table 11.1: Overview of sites at which shallow groundwater levels were recorded in soil piezometers
Site UTM Easting (m) UTM Northing (m) Elevation (m asl) GPS type Depth (m)
P1_21154 328376.2 5504172 1752.0 handheld 0.715
P2_21153 328321.0 5504128 1721.4 CDGPS 0.850
P3_21152 328355.0 5504152 1728.4 CDGPS 1.070
P4_32001 328305.3 5504105 1731.0 handheld 1.060
P5_23387 328017.9 5504408 1736.4 handheld 1.300
P6_21155 328039.0 5504407 1740.0 CDGPS 0.710
P7_23391 327254.0 5502821 1595.0 CDGPS 0.870
P8_23388 327297.3 5502750 1590.7 CDGPS 0.900
P9_23392 328021.8 5502695 1643.5 CDGPS 0.865
P10_23390 327986.4 5502695 1638.6 CDGPS 0.800
P11_23389 327950.9 5502703 1634.7 CDGPS 1.040
P12_33006 327439.1 5502990 1619.0 handheld 0.960
P13_20073 327410.6 5503033 1628.0 handheld 0.980
P14_33009 326998.1 5503683 1678.0 handheld 0.900
P15_33000 327017.8 5503699 1697.0 handheld 0.700

Figure 11.1 shows the locations of the soil piezometers as filled red circles.

Locations of soil piezometers

Figure 11.1: Locations of soil piezometers

As can be seen in Figure 11.2, the data for p12_33006 are noisy. The cause is unknown. In addition, the data for p3_21152 have a gap from July 28, 2005, to October 10, 2006.

Time series of water levels in soil piezometers

Figure 11.2: Time series of water levels in soil piezometers

11.2.2 Data files

The data were provided as separate spreadsheets by site. The final result of the editing process is a compiled long-format data file named gw_sp_all.csv, which contains the following columns:

  • site (format pi_x, where i is site number and x is Odyssey serial number)
  • date_time (yyyy-mm-dd hh:MM:ss format)
  • wl_bel_ahor (water level in m below the top of the A horizon)

Metadata are summarized in a file named wl_sp_metadata.csv. It includes the variables for each piezometer site as shown in Table 11.2.

Table 11.2: Overview of soil piezometers
Variable name Explanation
site site number
utm_easting Easting UTM 11N (m)
utm_northing Northing UTM 11N (m)
ground_elevation_m Elevation of top of humus layer (m)
gps_type Type of GPS used to determine site coordinates
pvc_length_m Length of piezometer pipe (m)
pvc_length_ab_ahor_m Pipe length above top of A horizon (m)
pvc_length_bel_ahor_m Pipe length below top of A horizon (m)
sensor_depth_bel_ahor_m Sensor depth below top of A horizon (m)
humus_thickness_m Humus thickness (m)
elev_ahor_m Elevation at top of A horizon

11.3 Drilled wells

11.3.1 Data collection

Three deep groundwater wells were drilled into the bedrock of the 241 Creek watershed in July 2007. Two adjacent wells (W1 and W2, 46 m and 30 m deep, respectively) were drilled approximately 3 m apart at high elevation. A third well (W3, 30 m deep) was drilled in the valley, downgradient from W1 and W2. The wells have shallow surface casings (~2.5 m for W1 and W2, and 6.4 m for W3), but are completed as open boreholes to their full depths. W3 is situated along a lineament; it intersects a fractured bedrock zone and has artesian flow during the spring freshet.

From July 2007 to August 2010, groundwater levels were monitored at various intervals (first daily, then twice daily, and eventually hourly). Seametrics PT2X vented pressure transducer loggers (measuring daily and twice daily) were initially deployed in July 2007. In August 2008, the data could not be downloaded in the field; therefore, the loggers were removed and sent for repair. It was thought exposure to extreme cold temperatures caused the loggers to malfunction. Ultimately, the data from W1 and W2 could be retrieved but not the data from W3. The data from W1 and W2 over the period July 2007 to August 2008 should be viewed with caution.

Onset HOBO loggers (non-vented) were installed and began logging on November 3, 2008. Note long time gap between the two types of loggers (August 2008 to November 2008).

Atmospheric pressure was measured with a single HOBO logger placed inside the upper well casing at W1. The same barologger data were used for barometric pressure compensation in all wells. All loggers were retrieved in August 2010. Since October 2013, W2 has been included in the BC Observation Well Network (#387 - Penticton Creek Watershed) and records groundwater levels hourly. The data can be accessed via:

Table 11.3 summarizes key characteristics. The well tag number is a unique well identifier in British Columbia.

Table 11.3: Overview of deep groundwater wells
Well UTM Easting (m) UTM Northing (m) Elevation - top of casing (m) Drilled depth (m) Sensor depth below top of casing (m) Well tag number
W1 328254 5504627 1805.47 45.72 15 WTN 94929
W2 328259 5504625 1805.81 30.48 15 WTN 94930
W3 327379 5503001 1624.47 30.48 20 WTN 94931

Figure 11.3 shows the locations of the wells as red filled circles. Note that the upper two wells are so close together that they cannot be distinguished.

Locations of drilled groundwater wells (filled red circles)

Figure 11.3: Locations of drilled groundwater wells (filled red circles)

11.3.2 Data files

The water level data are contained in three spreadsheet files:

  • gw_well_1.xlsx
  • gw_well_2.xlsx
  • gw_well_3.xlsx

Each spreadsheet contains two sheets, one containing time-series data and the other containing metadata for the well. The metadata sheet gives the location of the well, the elevation of the top of casing (TOC), the casing height above ground surface, and the depth of the well. The TOC elevation, to which all measurements are referenced, was measured with a handheld GPS. The metadata also defines two logging intervals, specifying the type of logger used (P - Seametrics PT2X; H – Onset HOBO); sensor range; start and end dates; logging interval; and pressure units. The time-series data show the raw data and calculated values with equations linking to parameters in the metadata. Note that for W2, after 12 pm on September 24, 2009 to the July 11, 2020, only the depth to water and the elevation of the water table are included in the file.

Because W3 flowed artesian at times during freshet, the calculated water levels are above the top of the casing (negative numbers). Because the water levels were compensated using a barologger from a high elevation location, the absolute values of groundwater level are likely off by a bit.

11.3.3 Pumping test data

Four pumping tests were conducted:

  1. A step discharge test in W1
  2. A constant discharge test in W1, using W2 as an observation well.
  3. A step discharge test in W3
  4. A constant discharge test in W3, with no observation wells.

Each constant discharge test was followed by a recovery test, during which rising water levels were monitored.

Files labeled, e.g., gw_W1_Well_Tag_Number_94929.xlsx, summarize the pumping test data, graphs, analysis results and lithology information. The spreadsheet uses the BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy template for pumping test data.

Several methods were used to analyze the data, including the Theis, Jacob (or Cooper-Jacob), Neuman, and Theis recovery methods. W3 was also analyzed with a method specific to linear flow (Ramey & Gringarten). The analysis results include transmissivity, storativity (and/or specific yield) and hydraulic conductivity estimated with each method.

12 R packages used

The following R packages were used in the generation of this document: tidyhydat (Albers 2017), pander (Daróczi and Tsegelskyi 2018), bookdown (Xie 2020), metR (Campitelli 2021), raster (Robert J. Hijmans 2020), sf (Edzer Pebesma 2021), ggspatial (Dunnington 2021), knitr (Xie 2021), magrittr (Bache and Wickham 2020), lubridate (Spinu, Grolemund, and Wickham 2021), readxl (Wickham and Bryan 2019), ggplot2 (Wickham et al. 2020), dplyr (Wickham et al. 2021), tidyr (Wickham 2021) and here (Müller 2020).

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Appendix A - Photographs of streams and weirs

Photographs in these appendices were contributed by several researchers, including Rita Winkler (appendices A and C), Dave Spittlehouse (appendix B) and Diana Allen (appendix D).


Figure A1: Gauging station at 240 Creek during the transition from a float and chart recorder (mounted on top of stilling well) to pressure transducer, data logger and telemetry system (in metal hut)


Figure A2: Close-up photograph of the v-notch weir at 240 Creek installed mid-summer to monitor post-freshet low flows


Figure A3: Photograph of 240 Creek during freshet


Figure A4: Dr. Todd Redding making measurements in 240 Creek, 2016


Figure A5: Gauging station at 241 Creek during the transition from a float and chart recorder (mounted on top of stilling well) to pressure transducer, data logger and telemetry system (in metal hut)


Figure A6: Rectangular weir on 241 Creek post-freshet in 2016, prior to installation of the v-notch


Figure A7: Weir on 241 Creek following break-up, 2013


Figure A8: Looking upstream toward the weir on 241 Creek during a period of zero flow, summer 2017


Figure A9: Rectangular weir on 242 Creek post-freshet, prior to installation of the v-notch

Appendix B - Photographs of meteorological sites


Figure B1: Station P0 in late May in the 1980s


Figure B2: Station P1, August 2012


Figure B3: Station P3, May 2008


Figure B4: Station P4, March 2003


Figure B5: Station P5, June 2016


Figure B6: Station P5, March 2015


Figure B7: Station P7, June 1998


Figure B8: Station PB, April 2005


Figure B9: Station PB, July 2012


Figure B10: Station PB, May 2011


Figure B11: Station PC, March 2015


Figure B12: Station PC, September 2017


Figure B13: Station PG, May 2005


Figure B14: Station PJ, April 2011


Figure B15: Station PJ, June 2017


Figure B16: Station PK, June 2019


Figure B17: Station PL, June 2019


Figure B18: Site D, May 2005


Figure B19: TDR, April 2004

Appendix C - Photographs of snow course sites


Figure C1: Mature forest at snow course UP10, 2014


Figure C2: Young forest at snow course UP13, 2016


Figure C3: Mature forest at snow course UP2, 2012

Appendix D - Photographs of a piezometer and a well site


Figure D1: Photograph of a soil piezometer at a clearcut site


Figure D2: Drilling one of the bedrock wells