Crow Creek Snow Pits

The Crow Creek Study Watershed sits at ~2,500 masl in elevation near Laramie, WY and is used as a teaching and research laboratory for the Mountain Hydrology Research Group at the University of Wyoming. The watershed is a small headwater tributary to Crow Creek. Data are collected to characterize the watershed as well as observe/measure hydrologic fluxes. There is the Crow Creek SNOTEL site within the watershed for meteorological time series data with a median peak snow water equivalent of ~170 mm that occurs in late March. The watershed has strong north and south aspect influences and mixed canopy forest type. The delineated watershed area is approximately 0.3 km^2.

The site was divided into five 10×10 meter plots along Crow Creek to analyze the watershed: Plot A at the top of the north-facing slope, Plot B on the north slope, Plot C at the base near the creek, Plot D on the south slope, and Plot E at the top of the south slope.