PNW MESONET is our network of mesoscale (50-100 km2) watersheds in the Pacific Northwest of the USA. These sites include the Oak Creek watershed near Corvallis, the HJ Andrews Lookout Creek basin, the Maybeso Experimental watershed in SE Alaska, the Entitat watershed in Eastern Washington and the Hinkle Creek watershed in southern Oregon. Together, these mesoscale watersheds span a considerable range of climate (from semi-arid to super humid) and geology (from till mantled SE Alaska to pyroclastic geology of the Cascade Mountains). Our goal is to develop new model structures that incorporate the first order process controls stemming from our experimental work at the sites. Our model approach uses STELLA to define conceptual model stocks and flows commensurate with our level of process understanding of each system. Our work explores new ways to incorporate experimentalist’s knowledge into so-called expert systems for model multicriteria calibration, focusing on hydrograph components, geographic source component and mean residence time of water in the river. Landuse change and change detection is a factor at each of the sites—from the effects of fire, to logging practices and road construction to forest conversion to agriculture and suburban land uses. PNW MESONET is our attempt to define the hydrological width and breadth of the region for ultimately delivering an informed management tool for land use and watershed managers in the region.

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