Environmental defense fund (EDF) proposes developing a workshop on the use of remote sensing and other satellite technologies for data acquisition and water management. The objectives of the…

Environmental defense fund (EDF) proposes developing a workshop on the use of remote sensing and other satellite technologies for data acquisition and water management. The objectives of the workshop are to (1) facilitate collaboration between technology developers and researchers (NASA, academics), policy makers (state/federal agency representatives) and practitioners (states and water managers); (2) inform the direction of technology development and research by assessing available technology and data in relation to information needs of policy makers; and (3) identify partnership and joint application/technology development opportunities that could advance the use of remote sensing for water management. This program would bring together 50-75 scientists and experts on satellite monitoring technologies from universities, NASA and other federal agencies and labs; expert practitioners with field experience using remote sensing; regulators and other stakeholders. Participants will assess the needs of regulators and managers, the potential of technologies to meet those needs and steps needed for implementation. The workshop will be led by EDF in collaboration with NASA and the california water foundation (resources legacy fund). EDF will contract with the water education foundation to coordinate overall logistics. The workshop will focus on two related geographies CA and the CO river basin and be held on sept 27-28, 2012 in southern CA (SAN diego), the water nexus for these two geographies. The NASA jet propulsion laboratory (JPL) has expressed interest in hosting the event at their facility, and other potential sites have been identified. Water supply management has been severely hampered by lack of data on water resources and the magnitudes of hydrologic regional multi-state solutions would benefit from enhanced data availability on consumptive use of crops, irrigation techniques, soil moisture, groundwater use/levels, surface water use and cropping patterns. Advances in capability (improved resolution and accuracy) and accessibility (minimized technological barriers, improved cost effectiveness) of remote sensing and other monitoring technologies should pave the way for applications that will assist water managers and regulators to better address management challenges. Our project directly addresses NASA`s goal to study earth from space to advance scientific understanding and meet societal needs. The workshop s three objectives are clearly aligned with the strategic objectives of the NASA s applied sciences program which supports efforts to discover and demonstrate innovative and practical uses of earth science data, knowledge, and technology and integrate earth science and satellite observations in organizations decision-making and services. The goal of NASA s water resources theme is to apply NASA satellite data to improve the decision support tools of user groups that manage water resources. The proposed workshop will identify specific project partnerships and joint application/technology development opportunities that could advance the use of remote sensing for water management. A primary outcome of the workshop is 3-5 clearly defined project concepts that (a) leverage remote sensing data to improve upon data currently available to water managers and/or water users; (b) involve a partnership between technical experts and water resource managers/practitioners and/or policy experts/economists; (c) focus on a specific, clearly defined problem currently faced by water managers/water users; (d) is technically feasible within a maximum of 4 years; (e) can be proven via a pilot study conducted in CA or the CO river basin, with applicability to broader geographic regions; and (f) would result in measurable improvements in water use efficiency, water quality, ecosystem health or quantifiable economic benefits.