Virtual tour of WMRC facilities,
continued: |
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| February view of the Owens Valley and Sierra Nevada, looking west from the foothills of the
White Mountains. The Owens River flows north to south across the lower middle of the photograph as indicated by the reddish Sandbar Willows (Salix
exigua).
Owens Valley Station is on the lower left, on the near (east) side of the river. To the right
on the far side of the river (4 miles west) is the town of Bishop. The center
peak of the Sierra Nevada in the background is Mt. Humphreys, nearly 14,000' above sea level.
Mt. Emerson is to the left and Basin Mountain is to the right. |
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The Owens Valley Station from the west. The ball field is in the foreground, and the Operations Manager's residence is on the far right, behind a grove of trees.
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Office/Dining Hall |
Dorm 1 |
The first building you see upon entering OVS is the office/dining hall,
with its inviting front porch. Many pleasant after-dinner social encounters
take place here. Visitors should also check in the office (first door on
the left in the entrance hallway) upon arrival to obtain instructions and
discuss their plans with station staff. |
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Dining Hall seats 45 |
Dorm 1 has bunk space for 14 |
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| The computer lab/library has
a directional antenna which beams an internet signal to White Mountain
Peak, 20 miles away. From there the signal is relayed to the Barcroft
and Crooked Creek Field Stations, providing high speed internet access. |
The Paul Manis Lab is set up for laboratory research,
with an electronic balance, lab benches, stereomicroscopes, ultra-cold
freezer, internet access, and more. |
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There are several computers available for researchers, and WMRC has a license for use of GIS software (ArcGIS). The system administrator's office is on the right.
WMRC also maintains a web server which serves this web site. |
WMRC hosts an official United States Geological Survey
"Field Camp" in this building. Staffed by research scientist
Angela Jayko, the building houses our geology library as well as other
collections. |
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The library includes an herbarium as well as
field guides and other aids to identification. There is also a collection
of 7.5' and 15' USGS quadrangles as well as other maps. |
The library also includes a manuscript and thesis collection
of work done at WMRC, as well as a reprint collection. We also collect
"gray literature" (reports, studies) pertaining to the Owen's
Valley and the nearby mountains. |
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| The south classroom is across the lawn from the Manis lab and next to
the computer lab. It has tables and chairs for classes up to about 40. |
The south classroom is our largest meeting room, and,
when set up without tables, can seat 80-100. This is where
lectures and seminars are held. Video projector, TV/VCR, internet, slide projector,
and overhead projector are available. |
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The new climate-controlled greenhouse is near the back of the compound, and houses plant germination and seedbank experiments run by the USGS Western Ecological Research Center. 11-4-09
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The greenhouse measures about 1800 square feet, enough to germinate several thousand samples at a time. The automated climate control unit is at the back right. 11-4-09 |
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The UC Riverside Magnetotellurics lab
supports field imaging of the deep earth mantle.
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The USGS Western Ecological Research Center (WERC)
has set up a dry lab at the station for processing soil and vegetation
samples. |
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The WMRC molecular genetics lab supports research
on the genetics and conservation ecology of Bighorn Sheep.
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| WMRC is the home for the "Deepest Valley Cooperative
Native Plant Propagation Center". The California Native Plant Society
and other volunteers use the facility to grow native plants for restoration
projects. In fall there is a native plant sale, open to the public. |
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