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Sagavanirktok River/Bullen Point
Hydrology Data Network
The watersheds in the area between the Sagavanirktok River and Bullen Point
extend south into the Brooks Range. This is an area with no history of weather,
climate, or hydrologic long-term data stations. A network of meteorological
and hydrologic data stations has been established in 2006 to help provide
information needed for engineering design, tundra travel opening and closing,
natural resource management and protection, and public safety. Snow on the
Arctic Slope of Alaska lasts up to nine months a year. Water contained in
snowpack ensures that snowmelt is a major hydrological event each year.
Peak discharge resulting from snowmelt is the highest for many rivers on
the North Slope, particularly for the largest basins like the Colville,
Sagavanirktok and Kuparuk Rivers. Rivers flowing into the Beaufort Sea drain
a large area that extends from the Brooks Range through the Northern Foothills
and across the Coastal Plain before discharging into the Arctic Ocean. Information
from the project data network will help understand the important processes
in these arctic hydrologic systems. |