Continuous Snow Monitoring for Improved Water Supply Management

Applied Research Team, Inc. proposes an innovative decision support tool that provides continuous snow monitoring for improved water supply management. More than 40 million people in the Western US and over a billion people globally rely on water stored high in the mountains as snowpack that melts in spring and summer. This precious resource is threatened by climate change and associated extreme weather patterns, increased demands and less dependable availability. Drinking water, irrigation and hydropower depend on the decisions by water managers for allocation and release of water when needed. Our proposal integrates ground-based weather radar and synthetic aperture radar with advanced machine learning techniques to quantify snow water equivalent accumulation. This approach offers advantages over existing methods by delivering all-weather operations, basin-wide coverage, frequent updates, cost-effectiveness, and reduced need for field collection in harsh environments. This proposal leverages NASA's unique observational assets to address critical water resource challenges while enabling commercialization opportunities in climate technology and water management sectors. It builds upon extensive snow remote sensing research and collaboration with stakeholders, incorporating robust data validation, and it aligns with NASA's strategic objectives, supporting the agency's Earth science mission. Comprehensive validation against airborne lidar, ground measurements, and streamflow data will enable diligent performance tracking, ensuring measurable achievement of objectives. The project will demonstrate technical feasibility, provide a clear pathway to an operational commercial product, conduct rigorous validation against authoritative data sources, and quantify a multi-million-dollar market opportunity with water agencies. The project goals will be realized through a subscription-based decision support tool for water managers.