Science Qualitative Indicators for 2007 – Use and Application of Products

Basin-Scale Water Balance

The primary product of the BSWB macro-theme is the Jemez Mountains/Valles Caldera environmental observatory, which continues to grow in instrumentation, facilities, and research collaborators. Success in operating the observatory has led to SAHRA scientists taking leading roles in the development of national observatory networks. As SAHRA’s NSF funding ramps down, we are using the observatory facilities in a comparative mode, specifically evaluating hydrological partitioning across an environmental gradient from the Santa CatalinaMountains of Arizona through the Jemez in New Mexico and tto the Colorado Front Range. Comparative mode research efforts are focused on developing processes-level understanding that is transferable between watersheds addresses - one of the great challenges in hydrology.

Integrated Modeling

The Integrated Modeling macro-theme furthered the development and use of a number of products during 2007. These include:

  • Geo-spatial databases for San Pedro and Rio Grande basins support the storage, distribution, and access of various datasets generated by SAHRA andthose needed for integrated modeling and scenario development activities. These include: 1) the PERSIANN precipitation datasets which have become one of the nation's major precipitation data sets, 2) PERSIAN-CCS, a10-year surface meteorological forcing dataset, and 3) fine-resolution soil hydraulic properties. These activities are coordinated with the Arizona Hydrologic Information System (AHIS) and the CUAHSI Hydrological Information System (HIS), including the use of the HIS Observations Data Model (ODM) as part of the SAHRA database.
  • The eight regional scenarios are being used as the basis for developing specific scenarios for individual modeling groups.Downscaled temperature and precipitation, generated using a new methodology for statistical downscaling of future IPCC climate projections which incorporate the effects of ENSO, will be used by the water-leasing model, high-resolution vegetation model, and several stakeholders in Arizona and New Mexico.
  • The coarse-resolution and medium-resolution water leasing models for the Middle Rio Grande will be used to address science questions underlying the “Water Markets” question and to run relevant scenarios, and have resulted in substantial dialogue with stakeholders (e.g., the ISC, OSE, and Water Dialogue of New Mexico). In addition a pilot water-leasing model for the MimbresRiver basin is being developed and will be used by relevant stakeholders (e.g., the ISC and OSE of New Mexico, Mimbres Water Users Group) for water planning.
  • A parallel-version of the fine-resolution tRIBS land-surface hydrology model is now running for large test cases and a snow hydrology module has been implemented. These will be applied in the Ojo Caliente watershed to address science questions underlying the “Vegetation Change” question and to run relevant vegetation change scenarios.
  • The San Pedro DSS has been delivered and is in use by the Upper San Pedro Partnership (USPP) and will used by SAHRA to address the “Riparian Preservation/Restoration” question and to run relevant basin management scenarios.
  • The MODFLOW Farm Module, which models processes related to irrigated agriculture along riparian systems, was published as a USGS technical report and MODFLOW module. The Farm Module has been tested and applied to a pilot project area in the Southern Rincon Valley within the Elephant Butte Irrigation District, New Mexico, and to Phase 1 of the update/upgrade of the USGS Central-Valley Regional Aquifer System Analysis (CV-RASA) in California.

River Systems

During 2007, the River Systems macro-theme completed or brought close to completion a number of notable signature products.

  • Multiple training sessions on the Upper San Pedro Decision Support System (DSS) were conducted with the Upper San Pedro Partnership (USPP). The DSS was developed by SAHRA investigators in direct partnership with the USPP. The DSS focuses on appropriate conservation and augmentation measures proposed to move toward sustainable yield with predictions of groundwater conditions resulting from potential decisions.The long-term interaction with managers, elected officials, and decision makers with SAHRA scientists in the development and refinement of the DSS has directly facilitated the transfer and use of SAHRA research results by decision makers. As SAHRA science is developed and published, its key components are incorporated and housed in the DSS. Two training sessions were conducted. The first was with a small group of nontechnical individuals: The mayor of the City of Bisbee; the Head Ranger of the CoronadoNational Monument; and the Executive Director of the USPP. The second training sessions was given to technical staff of the USPP agencies. The sessions were well received and resulted in further refinement of the DSS including the addition of numerous additional augmentation alternatives and a radical redesign of the DSS web interface to provide additional graphical output and a second interface level for a rudimentary modeler to easily employ the tool. In addition, a roll-out plan to release the DSS to the entire USPP was developed which will be initiated in early 2008.
  • A dynamic simulation model of water and salt balances for the Rio Grande was developed in 2006. Interest generated by this project and other SAHRA research on salinity resulted in the Rio Grande Compact Commission hosting a salinity workshop, featuring SAHRA researchers prominently, to explore the development of a salinity control forum for the Rio Grande.
  • SECA (Semiarid Ecohydrology Array), a flux tower focused on measuring carbon and water fluxes network across a range of elevations and ecosystems types, was developed and serves as an anchor for core research for the Desert Southwest domain of NEON’s national science plan, as well as a key resource for research centered at Biosphere2.