Snow cover measurement networks

The map shows the location of the snow course stations and the agencies that operate them. Most Canadian snow courses are operated by the federal Department of Fisheries and the Environment and the provincial government departments concerned with water resources. Though the principles of snow surveying were largely developed in the United States, the Canadian experience has been lengthy, with courses established and continuously operated in British Columbia, the Bow River basin of Alberta, and the Shawinigan River basin in Quebec and in Newfoundland from the early years of the 20th century. Other agencies became involved in the thirties and forties. National Research Council supported important studies across the country on the physical properties of snow. Recent network growth may be attributed generally to an increasing government role in planning resource development. The disastrous Red River flood of 1951 encouraged the Manitoba Department of Mines and Natural Resources to develop an extensive reporting network in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Water power requirements stimulated growth in other provinces, and further interest was harnessed during the International Hydrological Decade, 1965-74.