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PHOENIX – Join hundreds of other weather observers across the state of Arizona by installing a backyard rain gage to record precipitation in your neighborhood. The rainfall information you collect can become part of a database used by scientists throughout Arizona and the Southwest in a research program on floods and drought. Included in this program is the Flood Control District of Maricopa County (District), which is enhancing its rainfall research program through a partnership with RainLog.org, a Web-based collaborative network of nearly 1,000 volunteer weather observers throughout the state.
RainLog makes it easier than ever for members of the District's Volunteer Observer Network to record their rainfall measurements. The volunteers, citizen weather observers from all across Maricopa County, are now able to post their daily rainfall information to the online database at RainLog.org. In the past, District observers mailed a postcard once a month with their rainfall records. Using RainLog, the observers can contribute their observations right away.
Each observer has a personal RainLog account for tracking his or her rain gage data history, including per event rainfall amounts and accumulated rainfall, with both graphs and tables of data. Observers also have the opportunity to record additional details, such as hail events or high winds. Rainfall amounts recorded by observers around the state can be viewed on an interactive map on RainLog.org's home page.
The District's Volunteer Observer Network has been in existence for more than 20 years, during which time hundreds of volunteers have provided the District with rainfall data used in the development of flood control projects. "We are enthusiastic about the transition to RainLog's online database technology," said Erin Saffell, Ph.D., senior hydrologist for the District's flood warning branch. "RainLog.org is not only convenient for our dedicated volunteer observers, it also allows the Flood Control District to more efficiently and accurately compile rainfall data from all across Maricopa County."
Saffell encourages County residents to become members of the District's Volunteer Observer Network. "Highly localized rainfall during the monsoon demands a widespread network of rain gages, which helps build a more complete picture of rainfall across the County," she said. The District employs its own network of 300 automatic rain gages as a component of the ALERT weather monitoring system. The addition of more volunteer citizen observers, however, will continue to help the District improve the safety and welfare of County residents through sophisticated flood control and floodplain management programs.
For information about becoming a member of the Flood Control District's Volunteer Observer Network, contact Steve Waters, flood warning branch manager, at (602) 506-1501 or sdw@mail.maricopa.gov.
The general public now can benefit from RainLog as well. RainMapper is a free Web service that uses the data provided by RainLog observers to estimate rainfall amounts at the neighborhood level. RainMapper subscribers who provide an e-mail address and street address will then receive information on precipitation at their location after every rain event. This information can help homeowners be more water-efficient in irrigating their landscapes. For more information or to register, visit RainMapper.org.
RainLog.org and RainMapper.org are joint developments of the University of Arizona's Center for the Sustainability of semi-Arid Hydrology and Riparian Areas (SAHRA) and Arizona Cooperative Extension. Both organizations provide education, outreach and research regarding the management of water resources in the arid southwestern United States.
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