Helen Creek Research Basin

Purpose / Scientific Focus

Cryospheric Science  •  Alpine Snow Accumulation •  Snowmelt   •   snow redistribution

Helen Creek Research Basin is a high-elevation alpine basin near Bow Summit and a key snow hydrology site, focusing on alpine snow processes, including snow accumulation, redistribution, blowing snow, and snowmelt-driven runoff. Long-term observations from Helen Creek help improve understanding of how wind, climate, and snowpack dynamics influence mountain water resources.

Canadian Rockies Hydrological Observatory

Helen Creek is a part of CRHO, a comprehensive mountain observing system operated by the Centre for Hydrology. It integrates long-term observations of snow, glaciers, forests, wetlands, groundwater, streamflow, meteorology, and ecohydrological processes across the eastern slopes of the Canadian Rockies. Through a network of instrumented sites, CRHO supports research on mountain hydrology, climate variability, and ecosystem processes, with the goal of improving understanding and prediction of water resources in changing mountain environments.