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Loch Vale Watershed: Water, Energy, and Biogeochemical Budgets (WEBB) Program

About Loch Vale

Satellite photograph

Satellite photograph of the study area (37 KB)
Click for full-size image

Loch Vale is a high-elevation watershed in the southern/central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, where process-oriented research has been conducted by USGS/WRD and USGS/BRD since the early 1980s. It is a 660 ha alpine/subalpine watershed, ranging in elevation from 3050 m at the outlet to 4009 m along the western boundary, which is the Continental Divide. The basin has steep slopes, and is 95% exposed bedrock, talus, and tundra. About 5% of the basin is forested, primarily at low elevations. There are extensive areas of permafrost on exposed hillslopes and ridge tops. Rock glaciers and snow glaciers occur in the upper parts of the two main subcatchments, Icy Brook and Andrews Creek.

Click on the arrows ()to see photographic views of the Loch Vale project area.

 

Loch Vale Site Map Andrews Glacier Andrews Tarn The Loch Andrews Creek Gage Andrews Wetland Andrews Wetland Gage and Weir Collecting stream-water samples Collecting stream-water samples Andrews Creek Main weather station View west toward the Loch Icy Brook Gage Talus field Icy Brook Gage Snow survey View sw toward Sky Pond View sw toward Sky Pond View sw toward Taylor Glacier View ne toward Sky Pond Sharkstooth Weather Station

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Page Last Modified: Monday, 20-Apr-2009 17:40:29 EDT