A new study found that snow melts faster on sunny slopes burned by wildfire. Scientists with Colorado State University say snowpack on south-facing slopes reached its peak more than 20 days earlier than north-facing slopes.
They usually get more sun, but the impact is more intense where shady trees are all gone.
“We’re seeing that melt is also faster. It’s beginning earlier, so downstream water managers might see water earlier. It’s going to be harder to predict,” said Wyatt Reis, the study’s lead author.
Those south-facing slopes saw their snow disappear 11 days earlier than north-facing ones. Reis says those changes make it harder to predict how much water will end up in rivers and the supply for people and plants.
More water news
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A study by researchers at Arizona State University found swimsuits and swimwear can be a significant source of microplastics in recreational waters like pools and nearby rivers. -
As Phoenix continues to set heat records and the future of water in Arizona remains uncertain, some researchers are looking for ways to keep trees healthy with less water. They want to make sure Arizona has more trees to provide shade from the sun, but conserve resources at the same time. -
Last week, the Bureau of Reclamation inked three historic water conservation agreements in Santa Fe with the Gila River Indian Community, which thinks it can step up to help take some strain off Lake Mead and stabilize the Colorado River Basin. Less than a week later, they’re already breaking ground on two of these projects. -
A bill co-introduced by Sen. Mark Kelly looks to renew a federal program that monitors groundwater quality and availability along the U.S.-Mexico border. -
Three and a half months that were supposed to be filled with bipartisan negotiation on rural groundwater management have not yielded a deal between Republican lawmakers and Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs. They haven’t really been meeting.
