William Long and Cheyanne Carlin, U.S. Corps of Engineers, St. Paul District, hydrologic technicians, begin the annual snow surveys in Forest Lake, Minnesota, Feb. 27. The teams are taking the surveys to assist Corps of Engineers’ water management officials in determining how much water is contained within the snowpack this year. This information is shared with other agencies, such as the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey and helps determine what steps can be taken to reduce flood risks across the region.