Mapping Evapotranspiration Wins Innovations in American Government Award

Innovation Honored by Harvard Kennedy School`s Ash Institute for Improving
Understanding of Water Usage in Agriculture
CAMBRIDGE, Mass.--(Business Wire)--
The Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation at the John F.
Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University today announced Idaho`s
Mapping Evapotranspiration program as a 2009 Innovations in American Government
Award winner. Because over 90 percent of Idaho`s water is used for irrigating
agriculture and rainfall amounts remain low, regional water supply disputes
continue to grow. In collaboration with the University of Idaho, Idaho`s
Department of Water Resources is the first government agency in the nation to
develop and use satellite-based evapotranspiration imagery to enhance the
understanding of agricultural water usage in the state. Such data is integral to
settling water demand conflicts and offers more accurate and detailed mapping
than previous estimates. The program is one of six government initiatives
honored at yesterday`s reception in Washington, D.C. which concluded with the
premier of 2009 Visionaries, a PBS-produced documentary highlighting this year`s
Innovations winners. Mapping Evapotranspiration will receive a grant towards
disseminating its innovation around the nation.

Evapotranspiration Defined

Evapotranspiration is defined as the water evaporated from soil and transpired
from vegetation. Through the Mapping Evapotranspiration program, Landsat
satellites provide visual and thermal images that are processed to determine the
state`s irrigated agricultural evapotranspiration. Such data is calculated on a
daily, monthly, or seasonal basis and utilizes weather information to provide
more precise imagery.

The process is much less expensive and more efficient to calculate than former
methods. Individual Landsat images use 30 million pixels to map water usage from
areas as large as 10,000 square miles to as small as a single 40-acre field.
Previous calculations for quantifying water usage were limited to regional maps
with no capability for historical comparison. By tracking usage on a field by
field basis, the state can more effectively understand and regulate water use
and compare it to past archived usage data.

"Mapping evapotranspiration is important because it shows the amount of water
used to irrigate crops - over 90 percent of all water consumed in Idaho. In the
past, we mapped where water was being used for irrigation, now we can quantify
the total amount used," said Bill Kramber, senior remote sensing analyst at the
Idaho Department of Water Resources. "Using satellite imagery provides greater
detail, at lower cost, than previous methods."

Beyond the Data

The state of Idaho has enjoyed multiple uses for evapotranspiration data beyond
what was originally conceived.

* Wildlife Habitats: Water Resources staff used such data in collaboration with
farmers, the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and wildlife professionals to implement
stream flow restoration projects that ensure salmon and steelhead retain
sufficient habitat. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries
Services currently use such data to determine the amount of water available for
endangered species programs.
* Avoiding Litigation: During times of drought, evapotranspiration data acts as
a basis for determining water shortages. In addition, the state`s lawyers have
started to use evapotranspiration data to help defend water rights decisions.
Residents using water in excess of their rights may be more easily tracked and
regulated.
* Cost Savings: Evapotranspiration data can also be used to more
cost-effectively monitor ground water pumped out of aquifers for irrigation
wells. While current electricity record calculations cost $119 per well per
year, using evapotranspiration data for such monitoring drops the cost to $22.

"Water scarcity is fast becoming one of our nation`s most important resource
issues," said Stephen Goldsmith, director of the Innovations in American
Government program at Harvard Kennedy School. "As population and land needs
change, mapping evapotranspiration supports more accurate planning and
encourages water irrigation conservation. Jurisdictions across the nation can
learn from Idaho`s model for solving water-resource conflicts and improving
water management."

A NASA-produced video describing the Mapping Evapotranspiration program is
available at: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/landsat_water.html

About the Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation

The Roy and Lila Ash Institute for Democratic Governance and Innovation advances
excellence in governance and strengthens democratic institutions worldwide.
Through its research, education, international programs, and government
innovations awards, the Institute fosters creative and effective government
problem solving and serves as a catalyst for addressing many of the most
pressing needs of the world`s citizens. The Ford Foundation is a founding donor
of the Institute. Additional information about the Ash Institute is available at
www.ashinstitute.harvard.edu.

Ash Institute
Kate Hoagland, 617-495-4347
kate_hoagland@harvard.edu
or
Idaho Department of Water Resources
Bob McLaughlin, 208-287-4828
bob.mclaughlin@idwr.idaho.gov

Copyright Business Wire 2009