OpenET User Testimonials
Arizona
“The changing climate is dramatically increasing wildfire risks across the West, which also threatens our already shrinking water supplies. OpenET is giving Salt River Project a unique opportunity to learn more about how forest thinning projects that reduce wildfire risk also improve watershed health in the short and long term.”
—Elvy Barton, Forest Health Management Principal, Salt River Project
Bureau of Reclamation
“Every five years, the Bureau of Reclamation reports on water use and loss for the Upper Colorado River Basin states. As Colorado River flows significantly decline, the Bureau’s five-year report will be more important than ever. OpenET will serve as a valuable tool to help the Bureau to compare several satellite-based methods for measuring water consumption and determine which approach is most appropriate for the five-year Colorado River report.”
—James Prairie, Hydrologic Engineer, U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Reclamation
California
“California’s last drought demonstrated that reliable water data is almost as critical to farmers and water managers as the water supply itself. As our state and the entire western U.S. grapple with even more severe drought as a result of climate change, the launch of OpenET comes at a pivotal moment. It offers farmers and water managers a collaborative, 21st century tool to plan for and adapt to rapidly shifting water needs.”
—E. Joaquin Esquivel, Chair, California State Water Resources Control Board
“OpenET represents a game-changing leap forward for water management in the West. Starting in January 2022, OpenET will give Delta farmers a much easier, less expensive way to comply with state rules on monitoring and reporting water use. Instead of physically measuring every diversion, Delta farmers will be able to submit OpenET’s estimate of their crop water use. OpenET will save time, money, and confusion in the Delta, the hub of California’s water supply.”
—Michael George, Delta Watermaster
“Measuring water use in the Delta with traditional ground-based tools is a fool’s errand because of the region’s unique hydrology. OpenET provides us the ability to gain a more precise, timely and meaningful measurement of water use in the Delta. OpenET will be of great value for Delta farmers, state regulators, and policymakers as we collaborate to better manage our common vital water resources for our future.”
—Brett Baker, Sixth-generation Pear Farmer and Attorney, Central Delta Water Agency
“Gallo has invested substantially in ET data research because it enables us to use water much more sustainably as we face more frequent heat spikes and increasingly severe droughts. Working with USDA and NASA, we have experimentally used ET data to adjust irrigation amounts to actual vine water needs and to reduce applied water by up to 20%. But we need OpenET to be able to scale this application to all our vineyard acres.”
—Maria Mar Alsina, Research Scientist, E. & J. Gallo Winery
“To comply with California’s Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, Rosedale turned to OpenET for highly accurate water data to help our landowners more easily manage their own groundwater budgets through an online accounting platform. Because OpenET has brought together so many leading experts on satellite-based water data, I’m confident OpenET will become the de facto source of water data across not only California but the entire West.”
—Eric Averett, Board Member, California Water Data Consortium, and CEO, Homer LLC; Former General Manager, Rosedale-Rio Bravo Water Storage District
Colorado
“OpenET is a major step forward for managing water needs in a time when the Colorado River Basin is facing unprecedented challenges. New tools to help our farmers and ranchers more effectively manage their water use not only supports their crop and bottom line, but creates opportunities for more water to remain in our river systems to benefit both people and nature.”
—Aaron Derwingson, Water Projects Director, Colorado River Program, The Nature Conservancy
Nevada
“The Nevada Division of Water Resources strongly supports the continued development and public accessibility of OpenET. This outstanding tool directly benefits water users throughout Nevada and the West who strive to improve efficiency and conserve water. Public access to these data will be increasingly vital to support water users and responsible water management needs into the future.”
—Adam Sullivan, Nevada State Engineer, Nevada Division of Water Resources
“If you give farmers better information on when they should and shouldn’t have their water on, you’re going to save water. I think that’s the great value of OpenET.”
—Denise Moyle, Nevada Alfalfa Farmer
Oregon
“As the basin where I farm runs a substantial groundwater deficit, I have used ET data to design more efficient irrigation systems that reduce applied water by up to 25% and electricity costs by up to 20%. Because ET data is so important, I introduced legislation to use OpenET to develop water budgets for every groundwater basin in Oregon to ensure we have enough water for a growing population as droughts become more extreme. If you haven’t experienced climate change yet, it’s coming, and we need data and technology like OpenET to help us adapt.”
—Mark Owens, Oregon State Representative and Alfalfa Farmer
Utah
“The development of OpenET is fundamental to filling a data black hole related to consumptive use of water. We are thrilled with the prospects it provides for improved, informed water management at the scale of basin and farm, alike.”
—Bart Leeflang, Colorado River Program Manager, Central Utah Water Conservancy District
Washington
“The old adage is that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. For water managers, water users and citizens alike, understanding how much water is being consumed at both the farm and watershed level is an immense challenge. The OpenET platform will simplify that task and will do it in a way that is cost-effective, scientifically sound, transparent and accessible. OpenET will inform our work at both the operational and planning levels. It’s an especially welcomed tool as climate change shapes our understanding of future water availability.”
—Mary Verner, Water Resources Program Manager, Washington State Department of Ecology
Western States Water Council
“Currently, access to satellite and ET data is limited and expensive to process and interpret for many water users and decision-makers. OpenET will provide credible, transparent, automated, easily accessible consumptive water use data, through a broad network of collaborators also developing and refining operational applications. No other system can provide easier access to more timely data with more refined spatial coverage.”
—Tony Willdardson, Executive Director, Western States Water Council