Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID MN_2023_Feng

Snow hydrology in Minnesota headwater catchments

Institute: Minnesota
Year Established: 2023 Start Date: 2023-09-01 End Date: 2024-08-31
Total Federal Funds: $8,555 Total Non-Federal Funds: $17,227

Principal Investigators: Xue Feng

Project Summary: Warmer winters with shifting precipitation patterns are affecting snow-derived waterresources. However, most studies relating snowmelt and spring streamflow have beenconducted in the mountainous regions in the western U.S. This project aims to betterunderstand the hydrological processes affecting snow-derived streamflow in the headwatercatchments of the U.S. Midwest, especially during the critical spring melt period. To do so, weleverage the exiting long-term data from the Marcell Experimental Forest near Grand Rapids,Minnesota – including climatology, snow and frost depth, and streamflow – and strategicallycollect new measurements – including forest canopy conditions, soil moisture and temperature,and spatially- and temporally- extensive snow and frost depths. Together, this study will revealthe impacts of forest, frost, and hydrological connectivity on wintertime hydrological processesand spring streamflow generation and provide new data in Midwest headwater catchments forthe broader scientific community.