USGS

Comparison of Irrigation Water Use Estimates Calculated from Remotely Sensed Irrigated Acres and State Reported Irrigated Acres in the Lake Altus Drainage Basin, Oklahoma and Texas, 2000 Growing Season

By J.R. Masoner, C.S. Mladinich, A.M. Konduris, and S. Jerrod Smith


Water-Resources Investigations Report 03-4155

 

Prepared in cooperation with the
Oklahoma Scenic Rivers Commission Oklahoma Water Resources Board

 

The report is available in PDF format.


ABSTRACT

Increased demand for water in the Lake Altus drainage basin requires more accurate estimates of water use for irrigation. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, is investigating new techniques to improve water-use estimates for irrigation purposes in the Lake Altus drainage basin. Empirical estimates of reference evapotranspiration, crop evapotranspiration, and crop irrigation water requirements for nine major crops were calculated from September 1999 to October 2000 using a solar radiation-based evapotranspiration model. Estimates of irrigation water use were calculated using remotely sensed irrigated crop acres derived from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery and were compared with irrigation water-use estimates calculated from irrigated crop acres reported by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and the Texas Water Development Board for the 2000 growing season. The techniques presented will help manage water resources in the Lake Altus drainage basin and may be transferable to other areas with similar water management needs.

Irrigation water use calculated from the remotely sensed irrigated acres was estimated at 154,920 acre-feet; whereas, irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated crop acres was 196,026 acre-feet, a 23 percent difference. The greatest difference in irrigation water use was in Carson County, Texas. Irrigation water use for Carson County, Texas, calculated from the remotely sensed irrigated acres was 58,555 acrefeet; whereas, irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated acres was 138,180 acre-feet, an 81 percent difference. The second greatest difference in irrigation water use occurred in Beckham County, Oklahoma. Differences between the two irrigation water use estimates are due to the differences of irrigated crop acres derived from the mapping process and those reported by the Oklahoma Water Resources Board and Texas Water Development Board.

CONTENTS

Download the PDF version of the report for high-resolution, printable pages (5.5MB).

Sections available in pdf:

Section-1  2.8MB

Abstract

Introduction

Purpose and Scope

Description of study area

Previous study

Historical freshwater withdrawals

Acknowledgments

Section-2  2.5MB

Determination of land use and irrigated crop acres by remote sensing

Preprocessing

Accuracy assessment

Suggestions to increase accuracy

Limitations of landsat

Remotely sensed irrigated crop acres

Irrigated crop acres from state water boards

Irrigation water requirements

Reference evapotranspiration

Crop evapotranspiration

Effective precipitation

Determination of irrigation water requirements

Section-3  190KB

Irrigation water use calculated from remotely sensed irrigated crop acres

Irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated acres

Comparison of irrigation water use calculated from remotely sensed irrigated acres with irrigation water use calculated from state reported irrigated acres

Section-4  60KB

Summary

References cited

Appendixes

  1. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Beckham County, Oklahoma, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  2. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Carson County, Texas, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  3. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Donley County, Texas, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  4. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Gray County, Texas, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  5. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Greer County, Oklahoma, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  6. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Kiowa County, Oklahoma, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  7. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Potter County, Texas, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  8. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Roger Mills County, Oklahoma, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  9. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Washita County, Oklahoma, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season
  10. Remote sensing classification categories shown with number of pixels and acres for the part of Wheeler County, Texas, in the Lake Altus drainage basin during the 2000 growing season

 


For additional information write to:

 

District Chief

U.S. Geological Survey

Water-Resources Division

202 NW 66 St., Bldg. 7

Oklahoma City, OK 73116

 

Copies of this report can be purchased from:

 

U.S. Geological Survey

Information Services

Box 25286

Federal Center

Denver, CO 80225


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