Estimation of ET for Groundwater Models Using the ITRC-METRIC Process
Tuesday, December 6, 2016: 3:50 p.m.
N201/N202 (Las Vegas Convention Center)
Charles Burt, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE
,
BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Dept, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
Actual evapotranspiration estimates across a field or irrigation project are quite different from evapotranspiration estimates that are developed for irrigation scheduling. Actual evapotranspiration is impacted by irrigation scheduling practices, irrigation system distribution uniformity, disease, nutrition non-uniformity and problems, and numerous other factors that lower the actual ET from potential, plus cause spatial variation throughout and between fields. The ITRC-METRIC Process using LandSAT imagery and customized software and quality control has been widely used to examine non-uniformity within fields and actual historical ET (water consumption). The actual ET value is essential for accurate groundwater modeling – which is a completely new concept for groundwater modelers and does not fit into their standard modeling programs.
Handout
Charles Burt, Ph.D., P.E., D.WRE, BioResource and Agricultural Engineering Dept, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, CA
CHARLES M. BURT, Professor emeritus of Irrigation, and Chairman and Founder of the Irrigation Training and Research Center, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California. Dr. Burt received a B.S. in Soil Science from Cal Poly, an M.S. in Irrigation and Drainage Engineering from Utah State University, and a Ph.D. in Engineering from USU. Experiences include professional work in 27 countries, three tours in Vietnam as a combat demolition specialist, work as a farm laborer in the San Joaquin Valley as a youth, designer/sales/installation in a major irrigation dealership in Fresno, partner in a consulting agricultural engineering firm, and 38 years at Cal Poly where he previously taught core irrigation classes, but now focuses on applied technical assistance (with some research) through ITRC. He has written and worked extensively regarding on-farm irrigation system design, water balances, irrigation efficiency, the energy-water nexus, canal automation, and irrigation project modernization. He has received a variety of awards including, the Person of the Year from the Irrigation Association, the Royce J. Tipton Award from ASCE, and the USCID Merriam Improved Irrigation Award. He is a Diplomate, Water Resources Engineer with the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers and is a Registered Professional Engineer in California in both Civil and Agricultural Engineering.
