NASA Data Integrated into New Water Loss Tool for Water Managers

A consortium of public and private organizations has launched a new online platform that uses satellite data from NASA to show levels of water evaporation into the atmosphere in the western U.S., providing a tool that can be used by water managers to increase the resilience of water supplies. The platform, OpenET, provides data for 17 western states for the current year and previous five years that is easy to view and download; it’s also available at no charge. The launch of this tool comes at a time when water supplies are becoming increasingly scarce due to widespread and severe drought, climate change, and population growth. Some water managers have already started using OpenET to develop more accurate water budgets, water trading programs, and other innovative programs. Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District in California’s San Joaquin Valley is using OpenET in its online accounting and trading platform. Salt River Project in Arizona is using OpenET to improve their understanding of the impacts of wildfire and forest management on streamflow and groundwater recharge. Read more at OpenET.