In Colorado, a four-year collaborative research project has investigated the potential water conservation and agronomic viability of temporary, voluntary, and compensated reductions in irrigation on high-altitude pastures.
The project brings together expertise from OpenET, Colorado State University, Utah State University, American Rivers, Trout Unlimited, The Nature Conservancy, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, and local ranchers in the Kremmling area.
OpenET data were critical to helping the team compare water savings on fields with reduced irrigation to parcels with normal irrigation. The study also examined how variations in forage species, soil, and groundwater conditions affect changes in consumptive water use and crop yields when irrigation is decreased.
The Kremmling project provided a real-world laboratory for addressing important questions on measuring and verifying water conservation and understanding the agronomic impacts of reduced irrigation.
