An automatic instrumentation and telemetry system for the Fallen Leaf Lake Watershed (California)

This thesis describes an automatic instrumentation and telemetry system for monitoring the snowpack, lake level, and streamflow on the Fallen Leaf Lake Watershed. This Sierra watershed, located south of Lake Tahoe, provides an opportunity to study a closed hydrological system. Much of the watershed lies within the Desolation Wilderness area, where the deployment of data collecting equipment is restricted to protect the primeval quality of the region. It is proposed that a remote data collection station can be adapted to blend into a wilderness environment for the purpose of gathering critical snowpack data without spoiling the natural character of the land. Establishing an automated and telemetered data gathering system provides valuable real-time data for the analysis and modelling of the watershed. Understanding the hydrological behavior of the watershed is essential to managing it as a water resource and for minimizing flooding problems.