Demonstrate and adapt remote sensing technology to produce and utilize consumptive water use maps for the Nebraska Panhandle

Granting Agency Name: North Platte and South Platte Natural Resources Districts (NRD).

PI: Gary W. Hergert. UNL collaborators/partners: Derrel L. Martin, A. Irmak, Suat Irmak, Shashi B. Verma. University of Idaho Partners: Richard G. Allen and Masahiro Tasumi

Grant period:  08/01/2006 -07/31/2009.

The goal of the project is accurately quantify net Consumptive Water Use (CWU) developed from LANDSAT images by applying Mapping EvapoTranspiration with High Resolution and Internalized Calibration (METRIC) algorithms for different crops and range land vegetation within the boundaries of two Natural Resources Districts, the North Platte NRD, and the South Platte NRD. These CWU maps will be developed by the University of Idaho (UI) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). We will develop, test and demonstrate tools that will take these CWU maps and turn them into immediately usable products for planning, managing and regulating groundwater resources. My contribution to this project is image processing and creation of CWU maps. Parallel image processing will be carried out by UNL and UI for the first year of proposed study.