2024: Leveraging OpenET to Enhance and Scale Data-Driven Agricultural Water Conservation (EDF)
Researchers will explore growing water scarcity across the western United States, where climate change and overuse have created severe shortages threatening agriculture and ecosystems. The project focuses on improving water conservation programs in Kansas, Oregon, and Texas by developing best practices for using OpenET, a satellite-based technology that measures water usage from space. Working with local stakeholders, the researcher examines how OpenET can effectively track water savings from various conservation strategies like crop-switching and improved irrigation systems. The goal is to help agricultural and groundwater management programs better measure their success and identify the most effective conservation approaches. By understanding the challenges and opportunities of using OpenET data throughout all phases of conservation programs, this research aims to promote wider adoption of this monitoring tool for water management.
Cornell: Yun Yang (Cornell CALS/School of Integrative Plant Science, Soil and Crop Sciences Section)
Environmental Defense Fund (EDF): Rachel O’Connor (Senior Manager, Climate Resilient Water Systems), Maurice Hall (Senior Advisor, Climate Resilient Water Systems)