OpenET is a fully automated system for field-scale (30 m), satellite-based mapping of evapotranspiration (ET) at daily, monthly, and annual timesteps. OpenET currently provides data across the 23 westernmost states in the United States and includes low latency, near real-time information, and multi-year timeseries of ET data from October 1999 to present. The OpenET team has implemented an ensemble of six satellite-based ET models on Google Earth Engine, which provides a shared computing platform for collaboration on processing of data from Landsat and other satellites, land cover, and meteorological inputs, leading to increased consistency and accuracy across the ensemble of models. Earth Engine also facilitates hosting and distribution of data via open data collections and an application programming interface (API). OpenET was developed in close partnership with agricultural producers and water resource managers who provided guidance and defined user requirements. Here, the development of the OpenET framework and the most recent accuracy assessment is summarized with discussion of how co-production with the user community and open science has facilitated successful applications of OpenET data for a wide range of water resource management activities. Current applications of OpenET demonstrate that broad acceptance and ease of access to ET data contribute to the rapid adoption of ET data in support of innovative water management practices and facilitate meaningful progress towards more sustainable management of water supplies.
Estimating irrigation consumptive use for the conterminous United States: coupling satellite-sourced estimates of actual evapotranspiration with a national hydrologic model
Irrigation consumptive use is crucial information for water resource management
