Micrometeorological Measurements and Water Budget Calculation to Evaluate Conservation Practices in the Annual Delta Crops

Project PI: Kosana Suvočarev

Co-PIs: Kyaw Tha Paw U, Samuel Sandoval, Michelle Laifender Miles

Students: Emma Ware, Olmo Guerrero Medina, Emma Falk, Ellie Park

Project Scientist: Rex Dave Pyles

Funding Source: Delta Conservancy (DWR)

Duration: September 1st 2022, October 31st 2026

Project description

Within Delta Drought Response Pilot Program, our team is tasked with doing micrometeorological measurements coupled with quantifying whole field water budget components to develop information on potential water saving with annual crop management with reduced or no irrigation.In addition to water and ET measurements, we are simultaneously measuring CO2 landscape fluxes to develop annual carbon balances and gain insights into the impacts of the water conservation practices on carbon fluxes. This is especially crucial for the vulnerable Delta soils. Our soil moisture profilers with EC measurements will be informative to where the saltwater intrusion might be a risk for the rootzone of the targeted fields.

Project goals

1) Inform impacts on water use of annual crops or field idling that are under water conservation practices, 2) compare ground measurements to the OpenET, 3) use ACASA with available measurements and previously collected by the past Delta project and AmeriFlux data available from the Delta.

Measurements:

6 EC towers; IRGASON, FW3, NR01, soil profilers, G flux packages, T/RH, etc.

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