Soil Moisture Collection by the Meeteetse Conservation District 

Draft Summary of Range Monitoring Little Buffalo Basin , Wyoming For the years 2005, 2006 and 2007

The MCD now has soil moisture data loggers set up at 2 different locations!!!

1.  Little Buffalo Basin

2.  Spring Creek

Site locations

1.  Little Buffalo Basin:  The first soil moisture site is located 17 miles southwest of Meeteetse. The site is in a pasture near the foothills and is adjacent to Little Buffalo Basin. The elevation of the site is 6201 ft. The GPS coordinates for the Little Buffalo Basin site are: 12 T 0671488  4883376 UTM.

Inside cooler is the soil moisture measuring device at Little Buffalo Basin

2.  Spring Creek:  The second soil moisture site is located northwest of Meeteetse. It is approximately 4.6 miles from the MCD office. The site is on private rangeland and permission must be obtained to visit site (contact the MCD office for more information). The elevation of the site is 6042 ft. The GPS coordinates for the Spring Creek site are:                  12 T 0664964   4891081 UTM.

Soil Moisture Device set up at Spring Creek

Data collection

At the site, there are three probes that measure soil moisture. Each probe is buried in the soil at a different depth. The depths are: 2-14”, 12-24”, and 24-36” at Little Buffalo Basin. The depths at Spring Creek are approximately 10, 30, and 60 cm. The soil moisture is measured in %, with 40% being the maximum value, indicating total saturation of the soil with water. Data is continuously being collected and will be summarized monthly. 

Other places around the state that have soil moisture sites are: 1. Buffalo (Range Experimental Farm);  2. Fillmore (SW Rawlins at a Range Experimental Farm);  3. Cheyenne (Range Experimental Farm);  4. Monolith (few miles S of Laramie);  5. Big Piney;   6. 15 mile in Worland (Range Experimental Farm);  7. Sweetwater-Beaver Ridge (Range Experimental Farm); and 8. Saratoga (Range Experimental Farm).

To see a map of experimental surface water monitor for the continental U.S. go to: http://www.hydro.washington.edu/forecast/monitor/index.shtml

We now have a rain gauge set up at the soil moisture site at Little Buffalo Basin. 

Results

Snowfall measurements                                

Precipitation measured in the gauge at Little Buffalo Basin

March - October 2005 Soil Moisture Chart

 The blue line depicts the soil probe buried 2-14" in the soil.

The green line depicts the soil probe buried 12-24" in the soil.

The brown line depicts the soil probe buried 24-36" in the soil.