The Spring Valley Station was installed and began collecting data in the summer of 2016. Located at an elevation of around 7,100ft (2,160m), the station is located in a pinyon-juniper and sagebrush ecosystem. This particular location is of interest because there is some research that shows changes toward a drier climate may lead to a transition from pinyon juniper habitat to a more sage-dominated system. This station is powered by solar panel and data are collected manually on a monthly basis.

This station was installed in June of 2016 with assistance from AGCI’s summer intern. In addition to serving as a long-term monitoring site, it also offers a chance for student learning opportunities with the nearby Colorado Mountain College campus.

Soil at a glance:

Clay | 2.1 % organic matter | 0.7 ppm NO3 | 2.8 ppm P | pH 6.5

Measurements:

Air Temperature | Relative Humidity | Soil Moisture at 2, 8, and 20in (5, 20, and 51cm) | Soil Temperature at 8in (20cm)

Data are shared via cellular transmission several times daily. 

Live data are collected every 20 minutes and transmitted every four hours. Live data have not been checked for anomalies or potential false readings and soil moisture calibrations have not been applied. Rain readings should not be considered accurate when temperatures are below freezing. Archived data have been cleaned and calibrated.

Please contact Elise eliseo@agci.org) to request other datasets.

Archived data have been cleaned and calibrated.

Funders:

This station was funded by the Aspen Community Foundation and is managed by AGCI.