BIG DATA
Ag irrigation professionals should integrate collection of data like evapotranspiration rates with ground truthing for better accuracy. Photos: LandIQ
Collect water use data and compare it to observation for accuracy.
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The Sustainable Groundwater Management Act in California requires the production of land use data that can be used in modeling to determine irrigation allotments.
nderstanding and dealing with water regulation is a continuing reality for growers, particularly in the western United States.
Some growers, working with local districts, are trying to get ahead of reduced water allotments by getting a better understanding of how much water the crops are actually using by monitoring evapotranspiration.
It’s important for growers to understand their options when it comes to collecting data and connecting it to their own personal experience and observations, says Joel Kimmelshue, PhD, owner of LandIQ, Sacramento, California.
This type of data collection and analysis involves professionals with skillsets such as remote sensing analysts and
geographic information tool analysts that complement each other in the field. Kimmelshue says incorporating two main technical disciplines, agricultural land-based science and spatial science, provides the best integrated approach to collecting data and connecting it on the grower’s level.
While companies like Kimmelshue’s often work with governmental and similar agencies, using data to understand water use practices is important for any grower. That’s especially true in places like California, where the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act requires that the California Department of Water Resources produce land use data. That’s applied as input data in their regulatory compliance modeling, which affects irrigation allotments.
Spring 2022 | Irrigation TODAY 17
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