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.