Nevada Farm Bureau
Making the Most Of Every Drop By Doug Busselman | NFB, Executive Vice President Plans are underway for the Nevada Association of Conservation Districts and Nevada Farm Bureau to hold combined annual meetings together in Fallon, November 1619. As part of the plans being put together information sessions are being organized to provide practical examples of several agricultural producers sharing and discussing their efforts to maximize their water use for the greatest results. Basically -- getting the biggest bang from every drop of water available.
along with the possibility of $14,000,000 for each of the fiscal years 2022 through 2026. It would be a good idea for those who are interested in learning more specifics to take a look at the “Open Access Evapotranspiration Data Act.” It also would be useful to gain more insight by taking an Internet trip to visit the website OpenETdata.org.
The Senate version of the legislation is S. 2568 is sponsored by Nevada’s U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto. Beyond the serious drought conditions The House version of the legislation that our state and the Western Region is HR 4832 is sponsored by Nevada of the United States is experiencing… Congresswoman Susie Lee, along maximum benefit from every drop with co-sponsors Congressman Chris needs to be on the top of all producers’ Stewart of Utah and Congressman minds. Profitability and long-term Jared Huffman of California. sustainability require effective use of all available resources, especially the Nevada’s Desert Research Institute limited and valuable resource of water. is one of the partners connected with the “OpenET” project, working along A few weeks ago an information with the United States Geological briefing was held by advocates for a Survey and the Environmental project that is underway to provide Defense Fund. Using satellitefor open access for a data program based data regarding the amounts of of evapotranspiration information. evapotranspiration occurring, those Legislation has been introduced in using the data will be able to see on a both legislative bodies in Congress field-scale estimate what is happening putting support behind the program, on their fields.
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When asked for a response on review of the proposed legislation, I openly admit sharing concerns over how the data might be used by government regulatory agencies (both at the state as well as the federal level) to further advance an agenda to undermine agricultural water right owners and the water rights that they own. One of the main themes of the information briefing on OpenET was to provide assurances that while the concerns were heard and understood – providing open access to evapotranspiration information would benefit agricultural producers.
At this point, Farm Bureau does not have a policy position on the “Open Access Evapotranspiration Data Act.” legislation. The organization’s current activity is working to gain a better understanding of not only how agricultural producers will be able to take advantage of the information available for their use, but also how their interests can best be served in assurances that regulatory agencies will not be seeking or be able to use the data to damage existing agricultural water rights.
As those who have agricultural water rights and go through the process of “Providing farmers and water considering how tools like OpenET managers free ET data is a core might have application in your efforts objective of the OpenET project,” to get the most of every drop of water according to the materials provided to that you have available…you are explain the project. encouraged to share those thoughts, questions and observations. Beyond Further in the information provided theory and ideas of non-agricultural to help explain the concepts, water right owners, those directly “Evapotranspiration” (ET) was involved need to step up and include defined as being the combination their perspectives. of evaporation and transpiration. The analogy provided offered that In order for support materials to be evapotranspiration is the opposite developed which can be of assistance of precipitation – “rather than water in learning how to make effective use, falling from the atmosphere to the those specifics can also be helpful in land, ET is water that leaves the preparing useful educational materials. land surface and goes back to the Look forward to hearing from those atmosphere as water vapor.” who have comments. Drop an email to The OpenET platform will cover doug@nvfb.org for further exchanges. 17 western U.S. states (Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, STAY UP-TO-DATE Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The data ON AG NEWS! is produced to provide a resolution of Sign up at at nvfb.org for the 30 meters by 30 meters (just under a weekly Nevada Farm Bureau quarter acre). Grassroots Newsletter and have current topics delivered right to your inbox.
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