The Way Colorado Measures Snowpack May Soon Be History
BERTHOUD, Colo. (CBS4) - The way Colorado surveys snowpack may soon be no more due to budget cuts.
The National Resources Conservation Service measures snowpack in 72 spots around the state. One of which is on Berthoud Pass.
Now federal budget cuts may reduce the number down to 25.
The snow measurements are used by water districts to determine water restrictions. The estimates are also used by farmers across Colorado.
"Everybody from ski resorts to interested users to NOAA to other entities out in the field use our data to get an idea of what sort of snowpack we have in the mountains and what to expect for the water year," said William Shoup, a state soil scientist.
The NRCS has already reduced its staff from 42 to 19 so it can keep all monitoring sites open.
