2. HISTORICAL MONITORING IN THE CATHEDRAL PEAK RESEARCH
CATCHMENTS
Historically, the Mike’s Pass station (1948 – 1994) was the primary
meteorological station for the research catchments (Figure 1). In
addition, precipitation was monitored at twenty-five sites across
catchments I – X. Both 5” Snowdon rain gauges with Nipher shields and 5
& 1/16” Casella Snowdon recording rain gauges were used. Streamflow
monitoring was initiated in Catchments I – IX during the late 1940’s
and 1950’s, and Catchment X during the 1960’s. At the outlet of each
catchment a concrete weir and stilling hut, with 90 degree V Notches, 18
inches deep, surmounted by 6 feet wide rectangular notches of varying
depth (Meyburgh et al., 1970) made of brass were installed. The
stilling ponds were dug to bedrock and rock walls for the pond were
constructed. Details of how early measurements were taken, error checked
and processed are given in Myeburgh et al. (1970). When cleaning
the weirs, qualitative observations on the volume of silt removed from
the weirs were made for selected catchments. Water chemistry sampling
was initiated in Cathedral Peak in 1981, samples were analysed for
Na+, K+, Ca+,
Mg+, Cl-,
SO42-, HCO3,
NH4+,
PO43-,
NO3-, TP (Total Phosphorus), KN, Si
and F. The pH and conductivity levels were assessed on site. A wealth of
data has been collected for the Cathedral Peak research catchments, with
the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) being the
custodian of the hydrological and climatological data sets until SAEON’s
involvement in the catchments from 2012 onwards.