Location: Range Management Research
Project Number: 3050-12610-001-019-I
Project Type: Interagency Reimbursable Agreement
Start Date: Sep 1, 2021
End Date: Sep 30, 2023
Objective:
Develop and share a geospatially-referenced tool to support water adaptation techniques in the western United States.
Approach:
Combine geographic data on USDA programs supporting water infrastructure throughout the west with an extensive literature search to build WATR: Water Adaptation Techniques Resource to highlight geospatially-referenced examples of water adaptation efforts at the farm, irrigation district, and watershed level.
I. Literature review: The literature review will include peer reviewed and gray literature highlighting novel approaches to enhance water use efficiency and productivity including but not limited to sensor technologies, irrigation application systems, water management practices, cropping and system design efficiencies, etc.
II. Tool development: WATR: Water Adaptation Techniques Resource: Additionally, the resultant tool will highlight key insights from the literature review and from ongoing USDA programs related to water transactions, water banks and groundwater recharge efforts with the goal of providing a platform for knowledge transfer to foster future resilience. WATR will synthesize geospatial data on water stress, surface water supply and groundwater management district service areas, historical water efficiency efforts, and high value commodities (e.g., nut crops, wine grapes, rice) to describe the current state of water management in the West.
