In this episode I am joined by Eric Larson, a hydrologist who works for the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. The focus of this episode is hydrology, which is a field in science that studies the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth. In the episode we discuss Eric’s love of the outdoors, studying civil engineering for his undergraduate, his current work as a hydrologist in Montana, methods for collecting hydrology data, his experience with SNOwpackTELemetryNetwork, how hydrology data is utilized by farmers and local governments and much more. I hope you enjoy!

VIDEO:

MontanaNRCS YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MontanaNRCS/videos

PAPERS:

The History of Snow Survey & Water Supply forecasting: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/2022-09/History-Of-Snow-Survey.pdf

Water Supply Outlook Reports – Montana: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/state-offices/montana/montana-snow-survey/water-supply-outlook-reports-montana

ARTICLES:

The Man Behind the Snowpack: https://mountainjournal.org/eric-larson-the-man-behind-the-snowpack/

Understanding Snow: https://watereducationcolorado.org/publications-and-radio/headwaters-magazine/spring-2024-the-snow-issue/understanding-snow/

Snow: The real water supply for the Rio Grande basin: https://jornada.nmsu.edu/files/bibliography/06-035.pdf

These Four States Are in Denial Over a Looming Water Crisis: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/02/opinion/water-shortage-colorado-river.html

Spring Outlook: Drought forecasted to expand in U.S. West, parts of Plains: https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/spring-outlook-drought-forecasted-to-expand-in-us-west-parts-of-plains

June 2022 Floods in the Upper Yellowstone River Basin: https://pubs.usgs.gov/publication/fs20243035/full

Requirements to become a Hydrologist in the US: https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/1300/hydrology-series-1315

BOOKS:

Never Turn Back: The Life of Whitewater Pioneer Walt Blackadar by Ron Watters

The Emerald Mile: The Epic Story of the Fastest Ride in History Through the Heart of the Grand Canyon by Kevin Fedarko

CONNECT:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrian-dolinay-frm-96a289106/

GitHub: https://github.com/ad17171717

X: https://twitter.com/DolinayG

Odysee: https://odysee.com/@adriandolinay:0

Medium: https://medium.com/@adriandolinay

PODCAST: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-aspiring-stem-geek/id1765996824

Audible: https://www.audible.com/podcast/The-Aspiring-STEM-Geek/B0DC73S9SN

iHeart Radio: https://iheart.com/podcast/202676097/

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/60dPNJbDPaPw7ru8g5btxV|-

Video Chapters-|

0:00 – Intro

1:12 – Eric growing up in Minnesota

3:34 – Studying civil engineering at University

5:05 – Defining Hydrology

7:13 – SNOwpack TELemetry Network (SNOTEL)

8:27 – What time of the year is Hydrology data collected

10:36 – How SNOTEL data is transmitted & collected

12:12 – Grizzly Bears near SNOTEL sites

13:46 – Maintenance on SNOTEL equipment

15:54 – Process to sample Snow Course data

21:26 – Elevation sickness

22:35 – Defining Snowpacks

23:44 – Snow Water Equivalent (SWE)

25:48 – Spatial variability of snow fall

28:44 – Hydrological measurements

31:41 – Sublimination

35:20 – Methods of trekking to the SNOTEL sites

39:10 – Maintaining SNOTEL data

41:32 – Snow Survey & Water Supply Forecasting Program

43:55 – Avalanche risk

46:44 – Hydrology equipment is expensive…

51:47 – The hardest part of collecting Hydrology data

56:35 – Who utilizes Hydrology data?

58:48 – Surface vs Ground water

1:01:08 – Water from snow melt

1:02:02 – Droughts

1:04:54 – Water conservation and water capture

1:07:45 – How to get started in Hydrology

1:11:04 – Outdoor activities in Montana

1:12:25 – Glacier National Park & Custer Gallatin National Forest

1:13:56 – Best ski spots

1:14:56 – Indiana Bones

1:17:25 – Book recommendation

1:18:53 - Conclusion