Site info
DCEW Site: High S-facing site (HS)
Location (Lat/Long): 43.739075, -116.1157753
Elevation: 1835 m
Reporting Period: 2008 to November 1, 2018
Site Notes: High S-facing site (HS) was established as one of eight sites in a paired north vs. south facing hill slope soil measurement network within DCEW. Located above the rain-snow transition zone for winter precipitation on the Boise Front, HS is proximate to weather station Lower Deer Point (LDP) wherein water years 2008-2011 averaged 762 mm precipitation, with snowpack generally one meter deep or less (December – April).
Soil at this forested site includes high organic content topsoil with primary soil horizons 74-17-9 sand-silt-clay for < 2mm weight percentages, approximately 80 cm deep above fractured crystalline bedrock. Vegetation is Ponderosa pine and Douglas fir forest with deciduous shrubs below dense canopy with proximate broad thickets of ceanothus.
Soil moisture and temperature is measured in four adjacent pits with quadrilateral separation at 3 meters. In each of the four pits ECH2O EC-TM sensors are emplaced at 2, 15 and 30 cm depth from surface with a fourth sensor placed just above bedrock to provide synchronous soil moisture and temperature measurement. Between 2008 and 2012 several of these sensors failed. Subsequently, November 2012, two additional pits were emplaced as an upslope and down slope pair with 5 meters separation, proximate to but separate from the existing 4 pits. A snow depth sensor was also installed at this time.
