Streamflow from Melting Snow in the Cascade Range
July 17, 2013
Photographer: Mari Wirta; Mari's Web site
Summary Authors: Mari Wirta; Jim Foster
The photo above shows a lovely stream I found near Nooksack Falls, Washington, on the way up to Mount Baker. Rays of sunlight filtering through the forest canopy added just a bit of sparkle to the rushing water. In this area during late spring and even early summer, streams are fed by the melting snow of the North Cascades Range. Snow packs were above normal throughout this past winter and spring season on Mount Baker and over much of the Cascades. Thus, the water supply outlook as of May 1 was positive for the summer months -- streamflow ranging between 90 percent and 129 percent of normal. The forest here consists largely of firs, hemlocks and cedars. Ferns and Oregon grape are common plants in the understory. Photo taken on June 22, 2013.
Photo details: Camera Model: NIKON D5100; Lens: 18.0-270.0 mm f/3.5-6.3; Focal Length: 20mm (35mm equivalent: 30mm); Focus Distance: 13.3m; Aperture: f/13.0; Exposure Time: 1.300 s; ISO equiv: 100; Software: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.2 (Windows).