4/08

Annual Vegetation Trimming – During the spring and early summer it is important to monitor the vegetation height around your collector. All grasses and weeds need to be kept below 0.6 meter (2 feet) in height within a 5 meter radius of the collector (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. Call Matt at 1-800-952-7353 with any questions or for assistance. Calendar reminder: We are now receiving submissions for the 2009 Calendar. If you would like your site to be featured in the 2009 edition, send the information requested below to pbedient@sws.uiuc.edu: Picture(s) from your site (in print or digital format) – The pictures can feature site personnel, the natural beauty of your area, or anything else of interest near the site. They do not necessarily have to feature NADP equipment. Be creative! A paragraph about your site – You can highlight achievements of the personnel, research conducted at the site, and/or interesting facts about the area. If applicable, include a web address. This is an opportunity to educate hundreds of NADP participants about your site. We look forward to hearing from you about your site and its unique features.   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu     Back to reminders

5/08 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. Sites with electronic gages have no special procedures for summerization; just discontinue the use of antifreeze in the raingage bucket. With either gage, please follow the procedures and fill-in and submit the questionnaire with your next sample. Note the date of summerization in BLOCK 10: REMARKS of your FORF. Lid Seal Change: The CAL will begin shipping replacement lid seals in the next large box of supplies sent to your site. On or before July 1, please change the lid seal on the roof of your precipitation collector. Instructions are included with the new seal. This annual maintenance procedure will prevent windblown material from entering the bucket and reduce sample loss due to evaporation. Spring Cleaning - Site Operation Manual, 5.2.1.2 Sensor Head Cleaning: Periodically clean the sensor to remove any debris that could cause the collector to open and leave the wet-side bucket exposed during dry periods. With the wet-side bucket removed and the collector plugged in: Irrigate the sensor with distilled water or alcohol. (The collector will open. Just ignore this.) Using a toothbrush, gently scrub the area between the sensor grid and plate. Avoid bending the grid and leave no brush residue trapped in the sensor. Again, irrigate the sensor to rinse away any loosened residue. Blow any remaining liquid off the sensor to allow the collector lid to return to the wetside position.   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu   Back to reminders 6/08 We hope your spring is going well. Please be sure to check the function of the precipitation collector every week. The thunderstorms we are having in the mid-section of the country have destroyed many motor boxes and sensors this year. Belfort Maintenance: If you’re having trouble with your Belfort raingage, it might benefit from a good cleaning. Cleaning instructions can now be found online on the CAL website under the Site Support page or at the following URL: http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/PDF/belfort%20cleaning%20memo.pdf Annual Vegetation Trimming: During the spring and early summer it is important to monitor the height of vegetation around your collector. All annual grasses and weeds need to be < 0.6 meters (2 feet) in height within a 5 meter radius of the collector. You should not mow too frequently as this will produce friable material which could contaminate the sample. To prevent vegetative matter from contaminating the sample (especially under windy conditions), we recommend using a weed whacker or hand-pulling vegetation, or removing seed heads from grasses and flower heads from weeds. Reminder: Missing Precipitation Types. Please remember to completely fill in the precipitation type in Block 7 of the FORF: R if only rain occurred, S if only snow occurred, and M for any combinations, including sleet and freezing rain. Record hail as R and document its occurrence in Block 10. Circle U (unknown) for those instances when you do not know the precipitation type.   http://nadp.sws.uiuc.edu/cal/ E-mail: cal@sws.uiuc.edu   Back to reminders