Roaring Fork Observation Network collects and shares data on climate and environmental conditions in the Roaring Fork Valley
The interactive Roaring Fork Observation Network (iRON) is a research and outreach program managed by AGCI. Using the Roaring Fork Watershed in the Colorado Rockies as a case study, our observation network seeks to improve understanding of mountain ecosystems and hydrology in the context of a changing climate. Our stations measure soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature, and rain at 9 stations, across the watershed. Our goal is to help land managers, local residents, and scientific researchers to better understand the relationship between warming air temperatures and the systems that support natural and human communities]
The Roaring Fork Valley is a 1,451 square mile (3,760 square km) watershed located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our stations span the ecozones of this watershed from the scrub oak-dominated confluence of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs to the delicate high alpine habitat above 12,000 feet (3,660m) on Independence Pass. Over 26,000 people live in the Roaring Fork Watershed, and as a headwaters for the Colorado River, the basin serves as a water source for nearly 40 million more people downstream.
The Roaring Fork Valley is a 1,451 square mile (3,760 square km) watershed located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our stations span the ecozones of this watershed from the scrub oak-dominated confluence of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs to the delicate high alpine habitat above 12,000 feet (3,660m) on Independence Pass. Over 26,000 people live in the Roaring Fork Watershed, and as a headwaters for the Colorado River, the basin serves as a water source for nearly 40 million more people downstream.
The Roaring Fork Valley is a 1,451 square mile (3,760 square km) watershed located in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Our stations span the ecozones of this watershed from the scrub oak-dominated confluence of the Roaring Fork River and the Colorado River in Glenwood Springs to the delicate high alpine habitat above 12,000 feet (3,660m) on Independence Pass. Over 26,000 people live in the Roaring Fork Watershed, and as a headwaters for the Colorado River, the basin serves as a water source for nearly 40 million more people downstream.
Soil moisture is critical in shaping ecosystems, helping to determine which plants will survive in a given location. It also acts as a middle man in the water cycle, playing a role in water allocations between vegetation uptake, evaporation, and run-off. Consequently, the relationships between snowmelt or rain and changes in streamflow are also tied to soil moisture levels.
As climate changes occur in our valley, soil moisture is likely to change also, but how those changes will occur and their likely impacts will only be revealed if long-term observations can offer a record of conditions over time. iRON will help to provide a valuable record of this kind. It is hoped that the data collected by the iRON will benefit every local land managers, local water managers, and the international research community.
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