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ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #296839
Title: Upper Washita River Experimental Watersheds: Meteorologic and Soil Climate Measurement Networks

Author
item Starks, Patrick
item FIEBRICH, CHRISTOPHER - Oklahoma Climate Survey
item GRIMSLEY, DAVID - Oklahoma Climate Survey
item Garbrecht, Jurgen
item Steiner, Jean
item Guzman Jaimes, Jorge
item Moriasi, Daniel

Submitted to: Journal of Environmental Quality
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/8/2014
Publication Date: 7/14/2014
Publication URL: http://handle.nal.usda.gov/10113/60553
Citation: Starks, P.J., Fiebrich, C.A., Grimsley, D.L., Garbrecht, J.D., Steiner, J.L., Guzman Jaimes, J.A., Moriasi, D.N. 2014. Upper Washita River Eeperimental watersheds: Meteorologic and soil climate measurement networks. Journal of Environmental Quality. 43:1239-1249.

Interpretive Summary: Hydrologic, watershed, water resources, and climate-related research conducted by the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory (GRL) are rooted in events dating back to the 1930s. In 1960, the 2927 km2 Southern Great Plains Research Watershed (SGPRW) was established to study the effectiveness of USDA flood control and soil erosion prevention programs. The size of the SGPRW was scaled back in 1978, leaving only the 610 km2 Little Washita River Experimental Watershed (LWREW) to be used as an outdoor hydrologic research laboratory. Since 1978, the number of data collection sites and types of instruments used to collect meteorologic and soil climate data have changed on LWREW. Moreover, a second research watershed, the 786 km2 Ft. Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed, was added in 2004 to GRL’s outdoor research laboratories to further study the effects of agricultural conservation practices on selected environmental endpoints. The purpose of this article is: 1) to describe the SGPREW, FCREW and LWREW and the meteorologic measurement network (historic and present) deployed on them, 2) to provide descriptions of measurements, including information on accuracy and calibration, quality assurance measures (where known), and data archiving of the present network, 3) to give examples of data products and applications, and 4) to inform the public and research communities regarding access and availability of both the historic and recent data from these watersheds.

Technical Abstract: Hydrologic, watershed, water resources, and climate-related research conducted by the USDA-ARS Grazinglands Research Laboratory (GRL) are rooted in events dating back to the 1930s. In 1960, the 2927 km2 Southern Great Plains Research Watershed (SGPRW) was established to study the effectiveness of USDA flood control and soil erosion prevention programs. The size of the SGPRW was scaled back in 1978, leaving only the 610 km2 Little Washita River Experimental Watershed (LWREW) to be used as an outdoor hydrologic research laboratory. Since 1978, the number of data collection sites and types of instruments used to collect meteorologic and soil climate data have changed on LWREW. Moreover, a second research watershed, the 786 km2 Ft. Cobb Reservoir Experimental Watershed, was added in 2004 to GRL’s outdoor research laboratories to further study the effects of agricultural conservation practices on selected environmental endpoints. The purpose of this article is: 1) to describe the SGPREW, FCREW and LWREW and the meteorologic measurement network (historic and present) deployed on them, 2) to provide descriptions of measurements, including information on accuracy and calibration, quality assurance measures (where known), and data archiving of the present network, 3) to give examples of data products and applications, and 4) to inform the public and research communities regarding access and availability of both the historic and recent data from these watersheds.