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Wind River Mountain Research Lab

Dedicated to the study of water, land, and life in the Wind River region of Wyoming, the Wind River Mountain Research Lab  (WRMRL) focuses on the intersection of physical processes and management policy.

About

▪ The WRMRL is headquartered at the Torrey Lake Club/Ranch Historic District outside Dubois, Wyoming, which is also the Lab’s primary long-term study site.

▪ The Wind River Range includes glaciated mountains above 13,000 ft., pristine alpine lakes, undisturbed forests, and vast sagebrush foothills.

▪ Hydrology in the Wind River region is critical for understanding how weather and climate interact with dynamic landscapes (like glaciers) to affect ecosystems and people (including agriculture and recreation).

Field Sites

Torrey Creek is a tributary of the Wind River which is notable for its diversity of terrain (including glaciers, large headwaters lakes, and groundwater springs) and abundance of wildlife (including the Whiskey Mountain Bighorn Sheep herd).

Dry Creek is a tributary of the Wind River which is notable for its high alpine terrain with minimal modern glaciation and its contribution of irrigation water to local agricultural projects.

Real-Time Hydrology and Meteorology Data:

Torrey Creek stream gage: TORREY CREEK AB TRAIL LK NEAR DUBOIS, WY

Torrey Lake weather station: TORREY LK WEATHER [temporarily down]

Dry Creek stream gage: DRY CREEK NEAR BURRIS, WY

Current Lab projects include:

    • Stream gage installation and streamflow measurement
    • Meteorological station installation
    • Backcountry snow surveys
    • Snowpack modeling
      • Focus area: drift mapping and snow persistence metrics
    • Hydrological modeling
      • Focus area: late-summer streamflow volume
    • Local stakeholder outreach and agricultural resilience
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Current research collaborators include:

    • Nevada Mountain Ecohydrology Lab (UNR)
    • The Wyoming Game and Fish Department (WGFD)
    • The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Lander Office
    • The Office of the Tribal Water Engineer for the Eastern Shoshone and Northern Arapaho Tribes
    • Airborne Snow Observatories, Inc. (ASO)

 

The Wind River Mountain Research Lab always seeks further collaboration. Contact: eli.boardman@mountainhydrology.com