WEBVTT 00:14.569 --> 00:16.347 The Missouri river basin covers 00:16.347 --> 00:19.280 approximately 500,000 square miles 00:19.290 --> 00:21.234 making it the largest watershed in 00:21.239 --> 00:23.840 North America . The Missouri River is 00:23.850 --> 00:25.940 the longest in the US and is fed by 00:25.950 --> 00:28.370 smaller rivers and tributaries as well 00:28.379 --> 00:30.040 as snow melt and runoff from 00:30.049 --> 00:32.000 surrounding mountains and plains . 00:32.279 --> 00:34.509 After several years of research , the 00:34.520 --> 00:36.200 US Army Corps of Engineers in 00:36.209 --> 00:38.265 collaboration with state federal and 00:38.265 --> 00:40.376 tribal partners launched project snow 00:40.376 --> 00:42.525 pack a first of its kind water and 00:42.534 --> 00:44.884 weather monitoring network . This large 00:44.895 --> 00:46.924 scale Messan leverages advanced 00:46.935 --> 00:48.879 technology that will revolutionize 00:48.879 --> 00:50.991 weather forecasting and help mitigate 00:50.991 --> 00:53.046 flood risks and the ensuing property 00:53.046 --> 00:56.104 damage or loss of life after the 2011 00:56.115 --> 00:58.395 flood on the Missouri River , um the 00:58.404 --> 01:00.626 internal review team got together which 01:00.626 --> 01:03.205 was a group of core personnel as well 01:03.215 --> 01:06.599 as other federal agencies and um 01:06.629 --> 01:10.029 university members and really came up 01:10.040 --> 01:12.709 with a list of recommendations on kind 01:12.720 --> 01:14.664 of an after action report from the 01:14.664 --> 01:16.831 event . And one of the recommendations 01:16.831 --> 01:19.129 was to improve our soil moisture and 01:19.139 --> 01:21.839 snow pack . Um Data set within the 01:21.849 --> 01:23.960 plains region . We had a good idea of 01:23.960 --> 01:26.127 what was going on in the mountains and 01:26.379 --> 01:28.435 enough data there . But we felt that 01:28.435 --> 01:30.601 our planes um information was a little 01:30.601 --> 01:33.000 bit lacking so to provide more of that 01:33.010 --> 01:35.169 for our modeling and reservoir 01:35.180 --> 01:38.449 operations . The first Messan test 01:38.459 --> 01:41.220 station was installed in 2015 at South 01:41.230 --> 01:43.529 Dakota State University in Brookings . 01:45.040 --> 01:47.540 Nathan Edwards is the Messan operations 01:47.550 --> 01:49.661 manager and one of the project's lead 01:49.661 --> 01:51.550 researchers from the university's 01:51.550 --> 01:53.217 Department of Agriculture and 01:53.217 --> 01:56.040 Biosystems Engineering . Nathan has 01:56.050 --> 01:58.050 been involved with project snowpack 01:58.050 --> 02:00.739 since it began in 2012 . He and his 02:00.750 --> 02:02.972 team are responsible for installing the 02:02.980 --> 02:05.091 weather stations , performing routine 02:05.099 --> 02:07.260 maintenance and collecting , storing 02:07.269 --> 02:09.436 and publishing the weather data to the 02:09.436 --> 02:12.059 university's climate website . What 02:12.070 --> 02:14.237 we're really trying to accomplish here 02:14.237 --> 02:17.449 is total water monitoring . Um And 02:17.460 --> 02:19.571 that's basically trying to capture as 02:19.571 --> 02:21.904 many parts of the water cycle as we can . 02:21.904 --> 02:25.149 Uh we're looking at um sublimation of 02:25.160 --> 02:27.809 snow where the snow turns into vapor 02:27.820 --> 02:29.542 and goes into the atmosphere , 02:29.542 --> 02:32.990 evaporation , uh transpiration , which 02:33.000 --> 02:35.380 is the water that plants um let off 02:35.389 --> 02:37.979 into the atmosphere and then also the 02:37.990 --> 02:41.690 water going in uh the the precipitation 02:41.699 --> 02:44.032 that goes directly in . And then , yeah , 02:44.032 --> 02:45.977 actually , if you think about it , 02:45.977 --> 02:49.350 snowfall is like the the snow pack is 02:49.360 --> 02:51.527 precipitation that hasn't quite fallen 02:51.527 --> 02:55.509 yet . And knowing how much is there and 02:55.520 --> 02:58.449 ready to go into the soil or run off is 02:58.460 --> 03:02.119 a really important factor . And so uh 03:02.389 --> 03:04.479 um we're , we're providing the 03:04.490 --> 03:06.990 variables uh that the snow modelers 03:07.000 --> 03:10.679 need to be able to estimate the amount 03:10.690 --> 03:13.750 of water in , in that in that snow pack . 03:14.169 --> 03:16.336 Uh And then of course , the final part 03:16.336 --> 03:18.759 is how much is being stored in the soil 03:18.770 --> 03:21.429 and how much is going through it um to 03:21.440 --> 03:25.149 lower levels . This state of the art 03:25.160 --> 03:28.589 equipment costs approximately $75,000 03:28.699 --> 03:30.929 and usually takes 2 to 3 days to 03:30.940 --> 03:33.300 install . Many of the stations are 03:33.309 --> 03:36.100 placed in remote and isolated locations 03:36.300 --> 03:38.690 and monitor a variety of data over a 03:38.699 --> 03:42.639 500 square mile radius . The really 03:42.649 --> 03:44.619 exciting part about it is not just 03:44.630 --> 03:48.020 having the right data but having it go 03:48.029 --> 03:50.720 to the right people . Um So 03:52.380 --> 03:54.820 the the data users were asked what they 03:54.830 --> 03:57.119 needed early in the project and the 03:57.130 --> 03:59.408 stations were built around those needs . 03:59.660 --> 04:03.110 And then uh we're working closely with 04:03.119 --> 04:06.639 Noah to be able to make sure 04:06.649 --> 04:10.119 that the partners that need that 04:10.130 --> 04:12.580 data to be able to turn it into other 04:12.589 --> 04:14.669 types of data . And there have been 04:14.679 --> 04:17.179 great , great efforts uh made to make 04:17.190 --> 04:20.109 sure that it gets applied . The U A 04:20.119 --> 04:22.679 Northwestern Division operates six main 04:22.690 --> 04:24.839 stem dams along the Missouri River . 04:25.160 --> 04:27.700 These dams and reservoirs play a key 04:27.709 --> 04:29.630 role in collecting , storing and 04:29.640 --> 04:32.350 releasing water . The water content in 04:32.359 --> 04:34.779 the soil across the basin is three 04:34.790 --> 04:37.779 times the amount held by the dams . The 04:37.790 --> 04:39.910 data from soil moisture monitoring is 04:39.920 --> 04:42.309 critical and will help dam operators 04:42.320 --> 04:44.859 during extreme runoff and also during 04:44.869 --> 04:48.059 periods of drought . I think the uh the 04:48.070 --> 04:50.750 larger benefit besides flood flood 04:50.760 --> 04:52.982 damage reduction . Or flood fighting is 04:52.982 --> 04:54.816 probably in drought management , 04:54.816 --> 04:58.019 knowing where the water is going to be , 04:58.029 --> 05:00.549 where the drought is going to be the 05:00.559 --> 05:02.929 harshest moving resources there from 05:02.940 --> 05:05.200 like the uh the Department of 05:05.209 --> 05:08.049 Agriculture or state agencies to to 05:08.059 --> 05:10.115 mitigate flood impact or excuse me , 05:10.115 --> 05:12.226 drought impacts are gonna be probably 05:12.226 --> 05:14.448 even a bigger benefit because those are 05:14.448 --> 05:16.615 gonna be a more acute and a little bit 05:16.615 --> 05:18.781 longer lasting than flood impacts . So 05:18.781 --> 05:20.948 I think that's gonna be a real benefit 05:20.948 --> 05:23.170 there . I think the other part of it is 05:23.170 --> 05:25.337 uh uh individuals being able to plan . 05:25.337 --> 05:27.559 Uh uh we can see drought is very spotty 05:27.559 --> 05:29.615 as is flooding . Uh People can say , 05:29.615 --> 05:31.940 well , ok , I may need to irrigate in 05:31.950 --> 05:33.894 the fall because we're , we're not 05:33.894 --> 05:36.006 gonna be able to , to count on on the 05:36.006 --> 05:38.172 winter snow pack and stuff like that . 05:38.172 --> 05:40.172 So I think that's probably gonna be 05:40.172 --> 05:42.179 even a bit bigger benefit . The 05:42.190 --> 05:44.579 project's success is largely dependent 05:44.589 --> 05:46.200 on the collaboration between 05:46.200 --> 05:48.720 stakeholders and tribal partners for 05:48.730 --> 05:50.786 those living on or near the Missouri 05:50.786 --> 05:53.220 River . The benefits of timely accurate 05:53.230 --> 05:55.008 weather forecasting are vitally 05:55.008 --> 05:58.459 important back to the 2011 floods that 05:58.470 --> 06:00.303 happened , you know , due to the 06:00.303 --> 06:03.029 excessive uh water and stuff , you know , 06:03.040 --> 06:05.207 we were all worried impact down here , 06:05.207 --> 06:07.600 but you know , the core doing what they 06:07.609 --> 06:09.929 had to do to mitigate those things . 06:10.029 --> 06:12.251 You know , that was a spectacular sight 06:12.251 --> 06:15.730 to see um the releasing of water at the 06:15.739 --> 06:17.795 spillway across at the Big Ben Dam . 06:18.010 --> 06:20.121 You know , I had family that lived in 06:20.121 --> 06:22.232 Pierre , South Dakota and we're doing 06:22.232 --> 06:24.177 videos of the Owa dam opening up , 06:24.177 --> 06:26.399 there's flood , flood spill gates , but 06:26.399 --> 06:28.649 to see the impact it had on and that , 06:28.660 --> 06:30.940 that uh reality is always there for us . 06:30.950 --> 06:33.172 If something happens , how much time do 06:33.172 --> 06:36.160 we have ? Um I think it's very crucial 06:36.559 --> 06:39.739 um that the Corps of Engineers do its 06:39.750 --> 06:41.972 best to make sure they're managing that 06:41.972 --> 06:44.194 but also be culturally sensitive to all 06:44.194 --> 06:46.417 the tribes that live along the river or 06:46.417 --> 06:48.417 have ancestral homelands within the 06:48.417 --> 06:50.083 river boundaries . To , to be 06:50.083 --> 06:52.309 respectful of that and to uh really 06:52.320 --> 06:54.487 work with the tribes on what , what is 06:54.487 --> 06:57.730 best uh for the tribes as well in our , 06:57.739 --> 06:59.795 in our water and to do everything we 06:59.795 --> 07:02.049 can to protect it um especially from 07:02.059 --> 07:04.226 any pollutants or anything . And uh uh 07:04.226 --> 07:06.003 flooding , of course , and most 07:06.003 --> 07:07.948 importantly , shoreline erosion uh 07:07.948 --> 07:10.003 because once something's washed down 07:10.003 --> 07:12.226 the river , you can't get it back . And 07:12.226 --> 07:14.281 our , our tribe has experienced that 07:14.281 --> 07:16.448 numerous times . So , you know , flood 07:16.448 --> 07:18.337 mitigation , uh preparedness , uh 07:18.337 --> 07:20.281 working together partnerships , uh 07:20.281 --> 07:22.059 cultural sensitivity training , 07:22.059 --> 07:24.170 cultural relations , partner with the 07:24.170 --> 07:26.281 Corps of Engineers and Tribes and the 07:26.281 --> 07:25.630 State of South Dakota , I think is very , 07:25.640 --> 07:27.696 very crucial and very important . Uh 07:27.696 --> 07:31.440 for all of us upon completion , this 07:31.450 --> 07:33.790 will be the largest network of its kind 07:33.799 --> 07:36.859 with 540 stations across a quarter 07:36.869 --> 07:39.320 million square miles and the mutual 07:39.329 --> 07:41.179 benefits of the data will be far 07:41.190 --> 07:44.690 reaching . So , although the kind of 07:44.700 --> 07:47.350 targeted users are the Army Corps of 07:47.359 --> 07:49.779 Engineers are Northwestern Division , 07:49.880 --> 07:52.399 Water and Reservoir Management Group , 07:52.579 --> 07:55.549 as well as other federal agencies . Um 07:56.100 --> 07:58.359 the benefits of this , they get really 07:58.369 --> 08:00.480 broad , really fast . Um You can move 08:00.480 --> 08:03.059 it into the agricultural industry , the 08:03.070 --> 08:05.609 forest and stream management . Um 08:05.619 --> 08:08.410 Researchers will have a ton of fun with 08:08.420 --> 08:10.587 all the data that this is providing as 08:10.587 --> 08:12.364 well . Um And then just climate 08:12.364 --> 08:15.230 resiliency in in itself . So I'm really 08:15.239 --> 08:17.295 excited about all the users and what 08:17.295 --> 08:19.017 where this data will take us . 08:19.140 --> 08:21.260 Participants include the Universities 08:21.269 --> 08:24.100 of Nebraska , Montana Wyoming , and 08:24.109 --> 08:26.109 North Dakota and South Dakota State 08:26.109 --> 08:29.059 Universities , also the USDA S Natural 08:29.070 --> 08:31.579 Resources Conservation Service and the 08:31.589 --> 08:33.630 National Oceanic and Atmospheric 08:33.640 --> 08:36.500 Administration , among others , the U A 08:36.570 --> 08:39.159 Omaha District Engineering Solutions 08:39.169 --> 08:41.113 that benefit the public and make a 08:41.113 --> 08:42.059 world of difference .