Author Date

2024

Degree Name

BS

Department

Geography

College

Family, Home, and Social Sciences

Defense Date

2024-11-19

Publication Date

2024-12-06

First Faculty Advisor

Grayson Morgan

First Faculty Reader

Ben Abbott

Honors Coordinator

Samuel Otterstrom

Keywords

Great Salt Lake, snow-water equivalent, Pole Creek Fire

Abstract

This study examines the influence of tree canopy coverage, climate, and topography on snow water equivalent (SWE) within the Great Salt Lake Watershed. Using SNOTEL data, NLCD land use/land cover rasters, t-tests, and multiple linear regression (MLR), the study analyzed SWE variability in relation to canopy density, winter precipitation, elevation, temperature, and latitude. Initial t-tests showed significant differences in SWE between sites with canopy coverage below and above 70%, yet tree canopy was excluded as a significant predictor in the MLR model. Instead, SWE was primarily explained by mean winter precipitation, elevation, average winter high temperatures, and latitude. Additionally, canopy change analysis of the 2018 Pole Creek Fire in the Jordan River watershed showed no significant changes in SWE following canopy loss. This study highlights the dominant role of climatic factors in influencing snowpack dynamics on a watershed scale. It also provides important data for adaptive watershed management and a framework for understanding snowpack responses to climate and land cover changes in saline lake ecosystems.

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