ABSTRACT:

The Betasso 10 m Meteorological Tower is part of the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) network and provides continuous atmospheric, radiation, and soil observations for the Betasso catchment near Boulder, Colorado. The station records wind speed, wind direction, air temperature, and relative humidity at 10 m; incoming shortwave radiation at 5 m; and net radiation at 1.6 m. A tipping-bucket rain gage is mounted near 1 m, and soil temperature and moisture probes are installed at approximately 20 cm below the surface.

All instruments are wired to a Campbell Scientific CR1000 (s/n 16759) datalogger. Data are collected to support long-term monitoring of meteorological conditions and energy–water fluxes across the DWCZ network.

Sensor coordinates, elevations, and calibration details are provided in the accompanying metadata files.

DATASET STATUS NOTE
**Dataset Status:** Concluded (Inactive)

The formal project officially ended on **August 30, 2024**. However, station infrastructure and active data downloads for the Bettasso Met Tower (BT_MET) systems were maintained post-project until **August 9, 2026**.

Data collection ceased on this date due to unknown reasons. While the physical array remains deployed on-site, no data has been logged past August

Legacy data are archived here:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/6bf3e44b9de344749d8f665e139e7311/

ABSTRACT:

South- and north-facing meteorological tripod stations measuring air temperature, incoming shortwave radiation, soil moisture, precipitation, and barometric pressure. GG1-SF-Met and GG1-NF-Met are 2.5 m multi-parameter meteorological tripods representing contrasting slope aspects in Gordon Gulch, part of the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ). The north-facing station is more densely forested, influencing local radiation, wind exposure, and temperature readings.

Gordon Gulch is a headwater catchment within the Boulder Creek watershed in the Colorado Front Range, east of the Continental Divide. The basin is underlain by Precambrian crystalline bedrock and features mixed conifer and ponderosa pine forests with open meadows and thin soils over saprolite. The site is characterized by strong topographic contrasts between north- and south-facing slopes, which drive differences in snow accumulation, soil moisture, and microclimate.

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)

The formal project officially ended on August 30, 2024. However, station infrastructure and data collection for the Gordon Gulch 1 (GG1) systems were maintained post-project until May 18, 2026.

Data collection ceased on this date due to a critical power system failure characterized by terminal battery depletion below operational thresholds. While the physical array remains deployed on-site, no data have been logged past May 18, 2026.

Legacy data can be found at:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/d30b44383d154225b3c99e557d124b7d/

https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/d66f1f3239a94c7682c71217b1a94e0b/

That reads cleaner and more DOI-ready to me. Most importantly, I removed the redundant “Dataset Status Note,” corrected Garden Grids 1 → Gordon Gulch 1, and changed “active data downloads” → “data collection.

ABSTRACT:

Soil moisture and temperature sensors installed at various depths at the Gordon Gulch 2 (GG2) monitoring site.

LOCATION: Gordon Gulch 2 (GG2) is located in Upper Gordon Gulch within the Boulder Creek watershed in the Colorado Front Range. The site is located at approximately 2682 m elevation and represents the upper portion of the Gordon Gulch monitoring network within the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ).

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

ABSTRACT: Temperature and soil moisture sensors (Campbell Scientific 107 temperature sensors and CS616 soil moisture sensors) were installed at various depths below the ground surface to measure soil temperature and volumetric water content. These measurements provide a continuous record of subsurface temperature and moisture conditions at the GG2 site and complement related DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature monitoring within Gordon Gulch.

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)
The Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) project officially concluded in 2024. Monitoring at the Gordon Gulch 2 (GG2) site continued through October 19, 2024, after which data collection was discontinued. Following the conclusion of the DWCZ project, personnel were no longer available to routinely access, inspect, and maintain the site.

The GG2 monitoring array was therefore discontinued, and no data have been collected after October 19, 2024.

See Related Resources for additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets.

Legacy data can be found at:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/396b28ed9f204621a724afb40cc4b9b4/

ABSTRACT:

Soil moisture and temperature arrays at various depths at locations 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10.

LOCATION: Gordon Gulch (2590 m) lies within Arapahoe National Forest and is divided into Lower and Upper Gordon Gulch. Gordon Gulch joins North Boulder Creek about 16 km downstream from Green Lakes Valley (GLV). This site is underlain by biotite gneiss and is mostly forested. Contrasting slope aspects result in differences in soils and vegetation, with thinner, less-weathered rock, grasses, and ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) on south-facing slopes, and thicker, more weathered rock with dense lodgepole pine (P. contorta) on north-facing slopes. The site is characterized by low-relief remnants of a dissected Tertiary erosion surface, where weathered rock profiles are up to 15 m thick.

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

ABSTRACT: Temperature and soil moisture sensors (Campbell Scientific 107 temperature sensors and CS616 soil moisture sensors) are installed at various depths below the ground surface to measure soil temperature and moisture. Sensors at this site are separated into two plots, Snow Melt (SM) and Simulated Rain (SR).

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)

The formal project officially ended on August 30, 2024. However, station infrastructure and data collection for the Gordon Gulch 1 (GG1) systems were maintained post-project until May 18, 2026.

Data collection ceased on this date due to a critical power system failure characterized by terminal battery depletion below operational thresholds. While the physical array remains deployed on-site, no data have been logged past May 18, 2026.

See Related Resources for additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets.

Formerly GGL_SPTran_SLTmpSLMist_Array

Legacy data can be found at:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/de13d6685e944864aca27217c06ae2bc/

ABSTRACT:

Snow-depth measurements were collected along snow-pole transects at Gordon Gulch 1 and Gordon Gulch 2 using manual field measurements and game-camera imagery.

Beginning in WY2021, manual snow-depth measurements were collected approximately weekly and supplemented by game cameras at several snow poles. Over time, the number of snow poles was reduced and cameras became the primary method of observation, generally capturing one image per day at approximately 12:00 p.m. MST.

Measurement frequency and coverage vary throughout the dataset. Manual observations are recorded in the “Manual Measurements” worksheet, while snow depths derived from camera imagery are recorded in “Camera Measurements.”

View Metadata for snow-pole coordinates and specifications.

Legacy data can be found at:

https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/48e04554b0b044c095a85c8ee2314134/

https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/5f45e73e8e124ab78855f001b954e7ed/

https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/5e6a0596a58a48d5acbbeb0b05c5e243/

ABSTRACT:

Stream water depth, discharge, water temperature, and specific conductance data from Gordon Gulch 1 and Gordon Gulch 2. Water depth was measured using pressure transducers, with discharge determined using stage-discharge rating curves developed from field measurements.

Channel conditions are affected by ice and snow during winter months, and monitoring was seasonal.

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)

Monitoring at Gordon Gulch 1 continued through August 22, 2024, and monitoring at Gordon Gulch 2 continued through September 28, 2024. No data were collected after these dates.

Legacy data can be found at:

Gordon Gulch 1:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/c2384bd1743a4276a88a5110b1964ce0/

Gordon Gulch 2:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/0efce710d2d24fab9542730522843a32/

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: B1 is located on a ridgetop east of Niwot Ridge at an altitude of 2,591 meters, in a clearing surrounded by low-density montane forest. This high-elevation site has been used for climate monitoring since the 1950s.

ABSTRACT: A modern meteorological tripod was installed at B1 in 2020 to update the historic monitoring site with modern instrumentation. Measurements include air temperature, wind speed and direction, snow depth, precipitation, incoming and outgoing shortwave and longwave radiation, soil moisture, soil temperature, soil electrical conductivity, and soil volumetric water content. Data were recorded at 10-minute intervals.

B1 is part of the long-term Boulder Creek CZO and Dynamic Water Critical Zone monitoring network and is part of a network of sites along an elevational gradient from the foothills to the Continental Divide.

Data collection for this dataset concluded on October 2, 2024, following the end of the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) project. The B1 monitoring site may remain physically deployed; however, this dataset is no longer actively maintained or updated as part of DWCZ.

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

Boulder Creek CZO legacy data:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/3ecfe3f27550493683fb32a8f3b6b50c/

Long-term historical data:

Climate, Meteorology:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/e440e0d3ad5b49929927e63f25226307/

Air Temperature, Solar Radiation:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/9dfb6ae4748845ceb94676ec589e75a5/

Historical Precipitation:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/c74ee10b17a740af885ee404644abbed/

Air Temperature & Relative Humidity:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/4fa25c67f23d4218980603f05d7012be/

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: Betasso Preserve is located in the foothills west of Boulder, Colorado, within the Boulder Creek watershed.

ABSTRACT: Groundwater table depth and water temperature were measured at the Betasso BT-GW-1 monitoring well at 10-minute intervals. This dataset continues groundwater monitoring conducted at the site as part of the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BCCZO).

View Metadata for well coordinates and specifications.

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)

Data collection for this dataset concluded on October 2, 2024, following the end of the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) project.

Legacy data can be found at:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/6f8ee0a3ce5c45e4870976bb3d8d1bfc/

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: The GG2 groundwater wells are located in Upper Gordon Gulch within the Boulder Creek watershed in the Colorado Front Range.

ABSTRACT: Groundwater table depth and water temperature were measured at three monitoring wells, DWCZ-GG2-GW-1, DWCZ-GG2-GW-2, and DWCZ-GG2-GW-6, at 10-minute intervals. This dataset continues groundwater monitoring conducted at the site as part of the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BCCZO).

View Metadata for well coordinates and specifications.

Data collection for this dataset concluded on September 30, 2024, following the end of the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) project.

Legacy data can be found at:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/4a4b2b04790147828072151b2a4820e1/

ABSTRACT:

Gordon Gulch (2,590 m) lies within Arapahoe National Forest and is divided into Lower and Upper Gordon Gulch. Gordon Gulch joins North Boulder Creek approximately 16 km downstream from Niwot Ridge LTER and Green Lakes Valley (GLV).

The site is underlain by biotite gneiss and is mostly forested. Contrasting slope aspects produce differences in soils and vegetation. South-facing slopes have thinner, less-weathered rock with grasses and ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa), while north-facing slopes have thicker, more weathered rock with dense lodgepole pine (P. contorta). Gordon Gulch is characterized by low-relief remnants of a dissected Tertiary erosion surface, with weathered rock profiles up to 15 m thick.

Gordon Gulch is within the montane climatic zone.

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: Coal Creek (CC) is a high-elevation headwater tributary to the Upper Colorado Basin, located in the Ruby-Anthracite Range of the central Colorado Rocky Mountains. The CC watershed is 53 km² in area and ranges in elevation from 2,712 to 3,668 meters. Coal Creek originates near Lake Irwin and enters the Slate River near the town of Crested Butte before joining the East River and eventually the Gunnison River.

CLIMATE: The watershed is seasonally snow-covered from November through June. The average temperature is 0.9°C, and the watershed receives approximately 670 mm of precipitation each year, about 66% of which falls as snow (Carroll et al., 2018). The remaining precipitation falls primarily during the summer monsoon season from July through September. Although monsoon rains comprise nearly 40% of annual precipitation, they contribute minimally to streamflow because much of this moisture is taken up by vegetation and lost through evapotranspiration (Carroll et al., 2020).

VEGETATION: Vegetation in the basin is strongly influenced by slope aspect. North-facing aspects are dominated by evergreen forest (65%), while south-facing aspects are dominated by deciduous (9%) and herbaceous (20%) vegetation. High-elevation ridges are largely barren (3%) (Zhi et al., 2019).

HYDROLOGY: Discharge in Coal Creek is dominated by snowmelt, with average peak flow occurring in June. Flows recede throughout the summer and fall, with smaller increases associated with monsoon events. Coal Creek typically reaches baseflow conditions by early September, which persist through winter until the onset of snowmelt in April.

GEOLOGY: The lower Coal Creek watershed is underlain predominantly by sandstone of the Mesaverde Formation, with glacial till deposits occurring near the streambed. The upper watershed is underlain by mafic intrusive plutonic rock emplaced during the Middle Tertiary. Areas of the upper north slope of the watershed are underlain by mudstone of the Wasatch Formation.

ABSTRACT:

This data package contains discharge and water quality data and model results at Coal Creek Watershed in the central Rocky Mountains of Colorado, USA. Files include high-frequency stream chemistry data collected during the period of Dec 2015 to Jun 2018, and model results of water storage and flux. The dataset also includes dissolved organic carbon and sodium stream chemistry data for the period of 2016. Our model then incorporates the USGS datasets of discharge and stream chemistry, for which data and citations are provided in the dataset files and related reference field. The resulting model BioRT-Flux-PIHM is the biogeochemical reactive transport model of the PIHM family code MM-PIHM for watershed processes and is detailed in the reference paper (doi.org/10.1029/2018WR024257) and in Github (https://github.com/PSUmodeling/BioRT-Flux-PIHM).

ABSTRACT:

Spring and stream sampling was conducted across the Coal Creek watershed during summer 2021 (June–October) to evaluate groundwater chemistry and identify locations of groundwater discharge to stream channels.

Sites were sampled approximately weekly for synoptic assessment of Coal Creek and associated springs to study surface water and groundwater interactions. Data include intermittent spring (IS) and surface water (SW) chemistry used to evaluate groundwater contributions to streamflow.

Associated isotope datasets include δ2H, δ18O, and 222Rn values from 8 stream locations along Coal Creek, 7 groundwater springs within the watershed, and precipitation isotope samples collected by the Next Generation Water Observing System (NGWOS) between November 2020 and September 2021.

These data were collected to evaluate how groundwater contributions from fractured hillslopes and alluvial fans respond to summer monsoon rainfall and seasonal drying. Understanding groundwater–surface water interactions in montane systems is critical for future water availability in the western United States, where groundwater contributions are expected to become increasingly important for sustaining summer streamflow.

DATA AVAILABILITY: Related isotope data are archived through ESS-DIVE and are available at DOI: 10.15485/2283437.

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: Coal Creek is a high-elevation headwater tributary to the Upper Colorado Basin located in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Coal Creek is also a sub-catchment of the larger East River watershed (300 km²) and falls within the research domain of the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory (RMBL). This is the Splains Conifer Granite site. The overlying vegetation is conifer, the underlying bedrock is granite, and the site is north-facing. It is also within the Splains Creek watershed, a subwatershed of Coal Creek.

ABSTRACT: Soil data were collected within the Coal Creek watershed during summer 2021 (June–October) to examine groundwater chemistry. Sites are located in varying bedrock types (granite and sandstone) and vegetation types (aspen and conifer). The resource contains three components:

SOIL SENSORS (CC_1-5_Sensors_Bixby): Soil sensors were installed in five different soil pits in Crested Butte. Sites are located in varying bedrock types (granite and sandstone) and vegetation types (aspen and conifer). Soil moisture and temperature data were collected every 30 minutes. Gas data were collected every hour.

SOIL AUGER (CC_SoilAuger_Bixby): Soil data were collected from multiple auger sites. Sites are located in varying bedrock types (granite and sandstone) and vegetation types (aspen and conifer).

SOIL PITS (CC_SoilPits_Bixby): Soil data were collected from five different soil pits. Sites are located in varying bedrock types (granite and sandstone) and vegetation types (aspen and conifer).

Additional soil-pit images are included as CC_SoilPit_images_Bixby.

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

ABSTRACT:

Soil sensors were installed to measure soil water content at multiple depths.
Hotel Gulch is located within the Manitou Experimental Forest. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans, indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment is installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites are measured along a longitudinal profile, beginning at the headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

The following sites were active but were discontinued on OCTOBER 15 2024: MEF-HG-A-3up, MEF-HG-A-5low, MEF-HG-A-5up, MEF-HG-AB-3low, MEF-HG-AB-3up.

Please see the metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

PLEASE SEE RELATED RESOURCES FOR ADDITIONAL DWCZ SOIL MOISTURE AND SOIL TEMPERATURE DATA.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these alluvial/colluvial fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, starting from the headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

WATER CHEMISTRY: Surface water samples were collected within Hotel Gulch from 2018 to 2021. Samples were regularly collected at over 30 sites in total, including both surface water and groundwater. Sampling occurred during the spring, summer, and into the fall. Storm flows were also sampled on occasion.

All chemistry samples were analyzed at the University of Colorado Boulder / Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research. Major cations and anions were analyzed on the IC in the Ecohydrology Laboratory, and isotope samples were analyzed in the Stable Isotope Laboratory.

View Metadata for site locations and variables.

RELATED RESOURCES: Additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets are available in linked HydroShare resources.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado.

LOCATION: This dataset was collected in Hotel Gulch, located within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado.

GROUNDWATER LEVELS: Wells were installed to measure groundwater table depths and water temperature at 5-minute intervals. A total of 19 wells were monitored.

Manual groundwater measurements were collected with a beepy tape to calibrate the HOBO pressure transducers. These calibrations were not used in the final analysis.

View Metadata for site locations.

RELATED RESOURCES: Additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets are available in linked HydroShare resources.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado. The “SBush” identifier in the title denotes Bush’s authorship and contribution.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is located within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, beginning at the headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

SOIL MOISTURE AND TEMPERATURE: Soil sensors were installed to measure soil water content at multiple depths. Data span from June 2019 through March 2022, with some sites ending in October 2021.

View Metadata for sensor coordinates and specifications.

RELATED RESOURCES: Additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets are available in linked HydroShare resources.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, beginning at the headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

ELECTRICAL CONDUCTIVITY AND WATER CHEMISTRY: Stream equipment was installed to measure electrical conductivity and temperature (HOBO). Grab samples were also collected for cations, anions, stable isotopes of water, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC).

Manual EC measurements were collected, but data from sites without EC probes were not used in the final analysis.

View Metadata for site locations, variables, and specifications.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, beginning at the stream headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

STREAMFLOW: Stream equipment was installed to measure stream stage.

View Metadata for sensor array IDs, site locations, variables, and descriptions.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Sidney Bush’s dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, beginning at the stream headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

PRECIPITATION: Precipitation was measured using a tipping bucket rain gauge (TR-525M, Texas Electronics, Dallas, TX).

View Metadata for locations, variables, and specifications.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: These resources represent data collected and presented as part of Sidney Bush's dissertation, Spatiotemporal Patterns in Hydrologic Connectivity in a Montane Headwater System in Central Colorado. The collection includes water chemistry, groundwater levels, soil moisture and temperature, electrical conductivity and temperature, streamflow/discharge, and precipitation data from the Hotel Gulch study.

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is located within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Equipment was installed within these fans at increasing distances from the stream. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile beginning at the headwaters and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents data collected as part of R. Gregory's research within the Manitou Experimental Forest, a semi-arid montane headwater catchment in central Colorado.

LOCATION AND SAMPLING: At 62 sample points across the catchment, bucket-type augers were used to collect soil samples at four depths: 10, 30, 50, and 100 cm. Sampling occurred within three landscape units: hillslopes, riparian areas, and alluvial/colluvial fans, capturing spatial variability across topographic and hydrologic settings.

ANALYSIS: Soil solute extractions were performed on the collected soil samples, and concentrations of major anions and cations were determined using ion chromatography analysis.

View Metadata for sample locations, sensor array IDs, variables, and detailed site descriptions.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: This resource represents the data as presented in Ethan Burns’s thesis, Ecohydrologic Dynamics of Rock Moisture in a Snow-Dominated Montane Catchment of the Colorado Front Range.

LOCATION: Gordon Gulch, located within the Boulder Creek Watershed, exhibits strong aspect-driven contrasts in precipitation, vegetation structure, and weathering depths.

ECOHYDROLOGIC MEASUREMENTS: Direct measurements of rock moisture were collected from boreholes spanning both north- and south-facing slopes, accompanied by continuous monitoring of precipitation, transpiration, soil moisture, leaf-water potentials, and groundwater levels.

This resource includes data grouped into three primary collections:

DWCZ-GG-Subset

Groundwater wells 1 and 6 (subset from continuous streaming data)
South-facing meteorological tower measurements

DWCZ-GG-Plot-Data
All plots are circular, centered on a borehole, and have an 8-m radius.

Plot species composition
Daily sap flow
Isotope ratios
Predawn leaf-water potentials
NMR and neutron-probe surveys
Soil matric potentials

DWCZ-GG2-DBH-Sapwood-Depth
Derived from the following dataset:

Adams, H. R., H. R. Barnard, and A. K. Loomis (2022). BCCZO — Tree Growth & Physiology — Gordon Gulch — (2011–2012). HydroShare.
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/8a34ef6c6bc14045851f042af9a7d142

Data from approximately 70 plots were used to develop an equation for scaling sap-flow measurements.

View Metadata for detailed site locations.

ABSTRACT:

The western United States is experiencing increasing rain-to-snow ratios due to climate change, and the resulting effects on groundwater–surface water connections remain uncertain. We examined how watershed topography and streambed hydraulic conductivity influence groundwater age and stream discharge at eight sites along a headwater stream within the Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado, USA.

To do so, we measured:

• continuous stream and groundwater discharge, water level, and specific conductivity from April to November 2021;
• biweekly stream and groundwater chemistry;
• groundwater chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and tritium in spring and fall;
• streambed hydraulic conductivity; and
• local slope.

We used the chemistry data to calculate fluorite saturation states that informed an end-member mixing analysis of streamflow sources. We then combined CFC and tritium data to estimate the age composition of riparian groundwater.

Our results suggest that future stream drying is more probable where local slope is steep and streambed hydraulic conductivity is high. In these areas, groundwater source shifted seasonally — as indicated by age increases — and we observed a high fraction of groundwater in streamflow, primarily interflow from adjacent hillslopes. In contrast, where local slope is flatter and streambed hydraulic conductivity is low, streamflow is more likely to persist, with seasonally constant groundwater age buffered by storage in alluvial sediments.

Paired measurements of groundwater age and streamflow, together with characterization of watershed topography and subsurface properties, identify likely controls on future stream-drying patterns.

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: High-elevation mountain regions, central to global freshwater supply, are experiencing more rapid warming than low-elevation locations. High-elevation streams are therefore potentially critical indicators for earth system and water chemistry response to warming.

LOCATION: Hydroclimatic and biogeochemical data were collected from Coal Creek, Colorado, in the central Rocky Mountains at elevations of 2700 to 3700 m, where air temperatures have increased by about 2 °C since 1980.

STREAM CHEMISTRY: Water chemistry was analyzed every other day from 2016 to 2019 to examine stream chemistry response to climate variability in a high-elevation watershed. Water chemistry data indicate distinct responses of different solutes to inter-annual hydroclimatic variations. Concentrations of solutes from rock weathering are stable inter-annually. Solutes that are active in soils, including dissolved organic carbon, vary dramatically, with double to triple peak concentrations occurring during snowmelt and in warm years.

The dataset contains discharge, water temperature, and stream chemistry data for 2016–2019. Stream chemistry includes dissolved organic and inorganic carbon, chloride, nutrients, and cations.

FUNDING AND PROJECT CONTEXT: Data collection efforts were carried out in conjunction with the DOE-funded Advancing a Watershed Hydro-Biogeochemical Theory: Linking Water Travel Time and Reaction Rates Under Changing Climate project and Watershed Function SFA.

DATA AVAILABILITY: Data associated with this resource are archived through ESS-DIVE. This HydroShare resource provides a reference and link to the externally archived dataset.

ESS-DIVE DOI: doi:10.15485/1892055

ABSTRACT:

STUDY: These sites monitor environmental conditions in an effort to understand forest hydrology at Sagehen Experimental Forest.

SAGEHEN T1 HILL1 (SH-T1-H1-SMST-SD): This site is at the foot of a hillslope rising above the valley bottom. It is paired with Hill2, which is further upslope.

This site is paired with meteorological information from Tower 1, operated by UC Berkeley and located about 100 m away. The site is also paired with sap flow measurements that are publicly available. The Subcanopy site is located approximately 300 m away in the riparian area. There are also AmeriFlux-operated flux towers in this area.

SAGEHEN T1 HILL2 (SH-T1-H2-SMST-SD): This site is about 100 m up a rising hillslope above the valley bottom. It is paired with Hill1, which is at the foot of the hillslope.

This site is paired with meteorological information from Tower 1, operated by UC Berkeley and located about 200 m away. The site is also paired with sap flow measurements that are publicly available. The Subcanopy site is located approximately 400 m away in the riparian area. There are also AmeriFlux-operated flux towers in this area.

SAGEHEN T1 SUBCANOPY SAP (SH-T1-SS-SMST): This site is in a riparian area near a river. It is paired with Subcanopy Open, which is located in a small tree gap downstream.

SAGEHEN T1 SUBCANOPY OPEN (SH-T1-SO-SMST): This site is in a riparian area near a river. It is paired with Subcanopy Sap, which is located under the canopy upstream.

SAGEHEN T3 CLUSTER (SH-T3-C-SMST): This site is located in a large forest gap near a road intersection close to the valley bottom.

This site is paired with meteorological information from Tower 3, operated by UC Berkeley and located about 20 m away. The site is also paired with sap flow measurements that are publicly available.

SAGEHEN T4 NORTH (SH-T4N-SMST): This site is on the north face of the ridge. It is paired with Tower 4 South on the south-facing side of the ridge.

This site is paired with meteorological information from Tower 4, operated by UC Berkeley and located about 250 m away. The site is also paired with sap flow measurements that are publicly available. Tower 4 South is located approximately 500 m away.

SAGEHEN T4 SOUTH (SH-T4S-SMST): This site is on the south face of the ridge. It is paired with Tower 4 North on the north-facing side of the ridge.

This site is paired with meteorological information from Tower 4, operated by UC Berkeley and located about 250 m away. The site is also paired with sap flow measurements that are publicly available. Tower 4 North is located approximately 500 m away.

View Metadata for site locations, variables, and specifications.

RELATED RESOURCES: Additional DWCZ soil moisture and soil temperature datasets are available in linked HydroShare resources.

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest in central Colorado. The area contains a series of alluvial and colluvial fans indicative of historic debris-flow scars. Stream sites were measured along a longitudinal profile, starting from the stream headwater and extending to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

STREAMFLOW/DISCHARGE: This resource contains streamflow/discharge and water temperature data from the Hotel Gulch SW0 monitoring site from June 9, 2022 through August 27, 2024.

View Metadata for site locations, variables, and specifications.

Dataset Status: Concluded (Inactive)

Data collection for this resource concluded on August 27, 2024.

ABSTRACT:

OVERVIEW: This resource contains a collection of GIS framework and reference materials compiled for use by researchers and students working with the Dynamic Water Critical Zone (DWCZ) project. Materials were assembled from a variety of project and external sources, with some resources provided by project PIs. There is a Boulder County focus inherited from the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO). Files are primarily provided in the versatile KML format for ease of sharing and use across GIS platforms.

SITE EXTENTS:
KML files showing study-site extents. The main set of site extents was created by Kyotaek Hwang.

SITE: BOULDER CREEK

BOULDER COUNTY:
Selected Boulder County GIS resources include:

Archaeologically_Sensitive_Areas
County_Open_Space
Lakes_and_Reservoirs (includes modern glaciers)
mun_wtrsheds_czo (restricted areas)
Open_space_czo
Riparian_Areas_-_2013_ERE
Road_Map_Roads

Additional Boulder County GIS data are available through Boulder County Open Data.

GEOLOGY:

geo_czo_tweto - Geological map by Ogden Tweto, clipped to the Boulder Creek area.
Clipped Cole & Braddock geologic map.

SOILS:
Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) soil maps:

soilmu_a_co643_bc - Boulder County
soilmu_a_co645_arnf - Arapaho National Forest

GLACIERS:
Madole's Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) glacier data. No online source is currently identified for this material. Check source and licensing requirements before using these data in a publication.

TOPOGRAPHY:
Topographic contour lines created by the Boulder Creek Critical Zone Observatory (BcCZO) from a 30 m USGS DEM.

LIDAR:
OpenTopography 2010 LiDAR, Snow On / Snow Off, for the Boulder Creek CZO.

SITE: COAL CREEK

COAL CREEK TRAILS:
GIS materials for Coal Creek trails.

USE NOTE: This resource is intended as a collection of GIS framework, reference, and supporting spatial materials for project use. Some materials originated from external data sources or were contributed by project researchers. Users should consult the original sources and applicable licensing or citation requirements before using these materials in publications.

ABSTRACT:

LOCATION: Gordon Gulch (2590 m) lies within Arapahoe National Forest and is divided into Lower and Upper Gordon Gulch. Gordon Gulch joins North Boulder Creek about 16 km downstream from Green Lakes Valley (GLV). The site is underlain by biotite gneiss and is mostly forested. Different aspect slopes present contrasts in soils and vegetation: thinner, less-weathered rock with grasses and ponderosa pine (P. ponderosa) on south-facing slopes, and thicker, more weathered rock with dense lodgepole pine (P. contorta) on north-facing slopes.

Gordon Gulch is characterized by low-relief remnants of a dissected Tertiary erosion surface in which weathered rock profiles are up to 15 m thick. Gordon Gulch is within the montane climatic zone. Mean annual precipitation (MAP) is 780 mm, approximately 70% as snow.

WATER CHEMISTRY: Water chemistry samples were collected from the GG1-SW0 and GG2-SW0 surface-water sites and the GG2-GW1 through GG2-GW6 groundwater wells. Major cations and anions were analyzed using a Thermo Scientific Dionex Ion Chromatography system in the Ecohydrology Laboratory. Hydrogen (dD) and oxygen (d18O) isotope samples were analyzed using a Picarro Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy System in the Stable Isotope Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder / Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

LEGACY DATA:
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/f98c35d1330e41569f8b0e2e339df8d8/
https://www.hydroshare.org/resource/4bb6710317c445cf996793ac1f5d7149/

RELATED RESOURCES: See Related Resources for additional DWCZ soil-water chemistry datasets.

ABSTRACT:

This resource contains four datasets related to coarse particulate organic matter (CPOM) transport and storage in headwater streams of the Colorado Rocky Mountains.

FIELD SITE: GORDON GULCH

1. Meta-FieldLog-GG-LF-StorageReachLVL-Fogel
This dataset represents CPOM storage within 14 study reaches in the Gordon Gulch watershed, Colorado, USA. Storage is reported as total CPOM volume, CPOM volume normalized by channel area (weighted volume), and accumulation frequency (number of accumulations per meter of stream length). Storage was measured in early August using surface area, height, and porosity estimates. Geomorphic and forest stand characteristics measured during sampling include slope, basal area, canopy density, d50, d84, bankfull width, pool area, pool frequency (per meter of stream length), wood frequency and wood load (volume per channel area), retentive feature frequency (per meter), channel type (single vs multi-threaded), and hydrologic regime (wet vs dry reaches).

2. Meta-FieldLog-GG-LF-Storage_Accumulation_LVL-Fogel
This dataset contains CPOM accumulation data measured at the individual accumulation scale within the same 14 study reaches. Surface area and height of each accumulation were measured with a tape measure, while porosity was estimated visually. The trapping mechanism responsible for each CPOM accumulation and its material composition were also recorded.

3. Meta-FieldLog-GG-CPOM-Flux
This dataset represents CPOM flux in Gordon Gulch during the summer 2022 field season at two study reaches. CPOM was sampled at both upstream and downstream ends of each reach using Bunte bedload traps deployed periodically over the summer. Material collected in the traps was dried, weighed, and divided by deployment time to estimate CPOM flux.

FIELD SITE: COMO CREEK

4. Meta-FieldLog-CC-CPOM-Flux
This dataset presents CPOM flux for three study reaches in Como Creek during the summer 2022 field season. Flux was sampled at the downstream end of each reach using Bunte bedload traps. Collected CPOM was dried, weighed, and divided by trap deployment duration to estimate flux.

ABSTRACT:

The data presented here are derived from tree cores collected near Estes Park, Colorado, at West Creek during the 2021 field season.

A total of 31 samples (21 standing trees and 10 pieces of large wood) were collected from Reaches 28 and 34 of West Creek. Samples were taken from both riparian areas and adjacent hillslopes. Standing trees were sampled using a 12 mm diameter increment borer, and large wood samples were collected using a hand saw.

Tree-ring growth measurements and stable oxygen isotope analyses were completed for each sample. Calculated variables include basal area increment (mm²), ring width index, and δ18O (‰) derived from tree rings.

This dataset supports the thesis:

Title: Using Dendrochronology and Isotope Methods to Identify the Watershed Origin of Wood in the River Corridor

Abstract:
Large wood (LW) recruitment influences the structure of river corridors and is an important component of wood budgets and river restoration. Determining the source location of LW from the watershed is challenging, and techniques used to identify source locations are limited. This project examines the source of LW deposited in valley bottoms in the Colorado Front Range, USA, following a flood in 2013.

The goal is to expand existing LW sourcing techniques by combining dendrochronology methods with stable isotope analyses to determine the watershed source of large wood (e.g., near-channel/valley bottom or upslope/hillslope) within a single catchment.

ABSTRACT:

TROUT CREEK
Data were collected from three beaver-mediated reaches on Trout Creek during the summer 2022 field season.

The dataset includes variables for 36 beaver ponds, including location, pond geometry, pond classification, sediment, organic carbon, and water storage, as well as stable isotopes. These measurements were used to calculate volumes and rates of sediment and organic carbon storage in beaver ponds. The dataset also includes radioisotopic activity concentrations for five beaver ponds older than 10 years, sampled at specific depth intervals within sediment cores and from suspended sediment. Channel geometry metrics were collected to characterize incision, connectivity, and erosion in each reach. In addition, metrics used to model and estimate rates of beaver-assisted channel infill via Monte Carlo simulations are included, such as the fraction of time beaver ponds were inundated over a 13-year period and pond longevity along Trout Creek.

Datasheet description:
Pond surveys: Includes geometric, age, sediment, water, and organic carbon storage metrics for each surveyed beaver pond, along with survey sample-point measurements (sediment and water depth, and unique characteristics). Ponds can be joined via the “Pond” field; reaches can be joined via the “Reach” field.

Stable isotopes: Results from sediment sample testing at CU’s Stable Isotope Lab, including fraction by mass of carbon, nitrogen, δ13C, and δ15N. Joinable via “Pond” and “Reach” fields.

Radionuclide data: Activity concentrations of radionuclides at depth intervals within sediment cores and suspended sediment (PS samples) from ponds older than 10 years. Joinable via “Pond” and “Reach” fields.

Geomorphic surveys: RTK GPS coordinates and elevation for cross-section points used to characterize channel and valley-bottom geometry, including descriptions of geomorphic units. Joinable via the “Reach” field.

Channel infill modeling: Includes the fraction of time ponds were inundated (2009–2023) and pond longevity data. Note: “Pond_number” field values in these spreadsheets are unique to each file and cannot be used to join across datasets.

COAL CREEK
Data were collected from three beaver-mediated reaches on Coal Creek during the summer 2022 field season.

The dataset includes variables for nine beaver ponds, including location, pond geometry, pond classification, sediment, organic carbon, water storage, and stable isotopes. The dataset also includes radioisotopic activity concentrations for three beaver ponds older than 10 years, sampled at depth intervals within sediment cores and from suspended sediment.

Datasheet description:
Pond surveys: Includes geometric, age, sediment, water, and organic carbon storage metrics for each surveyed pond, along with individual survey sample-point data. Joinable via the “Pond” and “Reach” fields.

Stable isotopes: Fraction by mass of carbon, nitrogen, δ13C, and δ15N from CU’s Stable Isotope Lab. Joinable via “Pond” and “Reach” fields.

Radionuclide data: Activity concentrations from depth-interval core samples and suspended sediment for ponds older than 10 years. Joinable via “Pond” and “Reach” fields.

ABSTRACT:

The western U.S. is experiencing shifts in recharge due to climate change, and it is currently unclear how hydrologic shifts will impact geochemical weathering and stream concentration-discharge (C-Q) patterns. Hydrologists often use C-Q analyses to assess feedbacks between stream discharge and geochemistry as a result of abundant stream discharge and chemistry data. Chemostasis is commonly observed, indicating that geochemical controls, rather than changes discharge, are shaping stream C-Q patterns. However, few C-Q studies investigate how geochemical reactions evolve along groundwater flowpaths before groundwater contributes to streamflow, resulting in potential omission of important C-Q controls such as coupled mineral dissolution and clay precipitation and subsequent cation exchange. Here, we use field observations—including groundwater age, stream discharge, and stream and groundwater chemistry—to analyze C-Q relations in the Manitou Experimental Forest in the Colorado Front Range, USA, a site where we’ve previously observed chemostasis. We combine field data with laboratory analyses of whole rock and clay X-ray diffraction and soil cation-extraction experiments to investigate the role that clays play in influencing stream chemistry. We use Geochemist’s Workbench to identify geochemical reactions driving stream chemistry and subsequently predict how climate change will impact stream C-Q trends. We show that as groundwater age increases, C-Q slope and stream solute response are not impacted. Instead, primary mineral dissolution and subsequent clay precipitation drive near-perfect chemostasis for silica and aluminum and enable cation exchange that buffers calcium and magnesium concentrations, leading to weak chemostatic behavior for divalent cations. The influence of clays on stream C-Q highlights the importance of delineating geochemical controls along flowpaths, as upgradient mineral dissolution and clay precipitation enable downgradient cation exchange. Our results suggest that geochemical reactions will not be impacted by future decreasing flows, and thus where chemostasis currently exists, it will continue to persist despite changes in recharge.

ABSTRACT:

Snow Water Equivalent (SWE) was measured using a calibrated scale, including the mass of the tube (units: cm).

For north-facing aspects, “downslope” refers to the area between the lowest snow pole and the second-lowest snow pole, while “upslope” refers to the area between the highest snow pole and the second-highest snow pole. For south-facing aspects, data were collected between the two snow poles, and the upslope/downslope distinction is left blank.

Location: Gordon Gulch (GG1 = lower, GG2 = upper), Arapaho National Forest, Colorado (~2590 m). Gordon Gulch joins North Boulder Creek about 16 km downstream from Green Lakes Valley (GLV). The site is underlain by biotite gneiss and is mostly forested. Contrasting slopes produce differences in soils and vegetation: thinner, less-weathered rock with grasses and Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) on south-facing slopes, and thicker, more weathered rock with dense Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) on north-facing slopes.

The area is characterized by low-relief remnants of a dissected Tertiary erosion surface, with weathered rock profiles up to 15 m thick. Gordon Gulch lies within the montane climatic zone, with a mean annual precipitation (MAP) of ~780 mm, 70% of which falls as snow.

Number of replicates was recorded for each date × aspect × plot combination.

ABSTRACT:

Manual measurements of groundwater level. SW manual measurements in stream. Electrical conductivity water SC (uS/cm) pH

Hotel Gulch is within the Manitou Experimental Forest. There are a series of alluvial/ colluvial fans indicative of historic debris flow scars. Equipment is installed within these alluvial/colluvial fans with increasing distance from the stream. Stream sites are measured along a longitudinal profile starting from the stream headwater to the lowest site just upstream of the flume.

ABSTRACT:

Locations: Coal Creek, which serves as the drinking water source for the town of Crested Butte, CO, receives both acid mine and acid rock drainage as a result of legacy mining and fractured porphyry networks, respectively. It has a Koppen climate class of Dfc, aka continental subarctic. Local ecology of the creek varies from site to site, with some parts being far more vegetative than others.

Abstract: Acid mine drainage (AMD) and acid rock drainage (ARD) result in acidic, metal-laden solutions that seep into surface and groundwater systems. The hyporheic zone, where surface and groundwater meet, serves as a natural filtration system, where biogeochemical reactions occur that influence metal retention and transformation. By analyzing changes in metal concentrations and phases throughout time and space, valuable information can be gained in regards to the mechanisms at work within the hyporheic zone. Hyporheic sediment and sediment from planted control soil columns were sampled on a seasonal basis along Coal Creek, an area affected by both AMD and ARD. Samples were analyzed for phase changes via XRD and SEM and sequential extractions created using the samples were analyzed via ICP-OES for elemental fraction concentrations. Preliminary results show the retention and release of metals via redox chemistry. These changes are seasonally dynamic and vary from site to site along the creek, illustrating the capacity of the hyporheic zone to act as a filter for AMD at different points throughout the year.