4/07

Raingage Summerization Reminder - Warm Season Operation When the threat of snow or ice storms pass for your site, your raingage should be "summerized." Enclosed are instructions and a questionnaire for summerization procedures for the Belfort Recording Raingage. Follow the procedures and fill-in and submit the questionnaire with your next sampe. Note the date of summerization in BLOCK 10: REMARKS of your FORF. (If you  have an electronic raingage, summerization procedures will be sent to you separately.) If you have further questions, please contact the NTN site liaison at 1-800-952-7353 or e-mail   Please welcome two new CAL staff members! Christopher Lehmann will join the NADP/CAL as CAL Director on 5/1/2007. He is replacing Karen Harlin, who will retire at the end of April. Chris previously worked with the NADP Program Office as Quality Assurance Manager. Contact Chris with your questions about CAL procedures and your general comments and concerns by telephone: (217) 265-8512; FAX (217) 244-3405; or e-mail clehmann@uiuc.edu. Barbara Suever joined the NADP/CAL on 4/23/2007 as a data specialist.  She is replacing John Ingrum, who will be leaving NADP. Barb may contact you if she has questions about certain samples from your site. Her phone number is (217) 333-1840; FAX (217) 333-0249, and e-mail is bsuever@uiuc.edu.   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu     Back to reminders

5/07 Annual Vegetation Trimming – During the spring and early summer it is important to monitor the vegetation height around your collector and raingage. All grasses and other vegetation need to be kept below 0.6 meter (2 feet) in height within a 5 meter radius of the collector and raingage (see page 5-2, NTN Site Operations Manual). The site should not be mowed too frequently, however, as this will actually increase friable material which could contaminate the sample. Use a weed wacker or hand pull seed heads from grasses and flower heads from weeds to remove vegetative material which can be easily disbursed by high winds and contaminate the sample. Reminders: Install your new lid seal on or before July 3, 2007.  “Summerize” your raingage by installing the evaporation shield and removing the antifreeze. Send in your site information for the 2008 CALendar (see enclosed announcement).   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu   Back to reminders 6/07 Inventory of Site Supplies Each year, the CAL orders several hundred buckets, lids, and shipping boxes to supply our 250+ NTN sites. Please help us plan for our supply needs by counting the number of supplies at your site, and return the enclosed form with your next shipment to the CAL. Reminders: Install your new lid seal on or before July 3, 2007.  “Summerize” your raingage by installing the evaporation shield and removing the antifreeze. Send in your site information for the 2008 CALendar.   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu   Back to reminders