The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) installs, operates, and maintains an extensive, automated system to collect snowpack and related climatic data in the Western United States called SNOTEL (for SNOwpack TELemetry). The system evolved from NRCS's Congressional mandate in the mid-1930's "to measure snowpack in the mountains of the West and forecast the water supply." The programs began with manual measurements of snow courses; since 1980, SNOTEL has reliably and efficiently collected the data needed to produce water supply forecasts and to support the resource management activities of NRCS and others.
SNOTEL locations within Southcentral Alaska include: Anchor River Divide, Cooper Lake, Esther Island, Grandview, Grouse Creek Divide, Kachemak Creek, Kenai Moose Pens, McNeil Canyon, MF Bradley River, Mt. Alyeska, Nuka Glacier, Port Graham, Port San Juan, Summit Creek, and Turnagain Pass.
