Measuring and estimating open water evaporation in Elephant Butte Reservoir in New Mexico
Date
2007-10
Authors
Bawazir, A. Salim, author
Samani, Zohrab, author
Bleiweiss, Max, author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Abstract
Elephant Butte Reservoir with an estimated surface area of 40,000 acres at full capacity is considered a major component of the Rio Grande hydrology. Understanding evaporative loss from the reservoir is needed for management and distribution of the Rio Grande water among various users. An eddy covariance tower is currently measuring the evaporation rate in a localized area of the reservoir. However, evaporation is highly variable across the Reservoir's water surface. This paper describes a methodology to account for spatial and temporal variability of the evaporation from reservoir using a combination of remote sensing and ground measurement.
Description
Presented at the Role of irrigation and drainage in a sustainable future: USCID fourth international conference on irrigation and drainage on October 3-6, 2007 in Sacramento, California.