New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute hosts conference in Las Cruces in June

New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute hosts conference in Las Cruces in June DATE: 05/31/2017 WRITER: Kristie Garcia, 575-646-4211, kmgarcia@nmsu.edu CONTACT: Jesslyn Ratliff, 575-646-1194, jesslynr@nmsu.edu The New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute at New Mexico State University is hosting the New Mexico Evapotranspiration Conference June 6 and 7 at the Las Cruces Convention Center. The New Mexico Evapotranspiration Conference program is designed to help choose an evapotranspiration model for the New Mexico Statewide Water Assessment (SWA). Discussion amongst the experts at the conference will aid in this decision. The SWA is a three-year project that has been supported by the New Mexico Governor and the New Mexico Legislature. The SWA is an effort that will complement existing state agency water resource assessments. It will provide new, frequently updated, spatially representative assessments of water budgets for the entire state of New Mexico. Evapotranspiration (ET) is one of the components of the model. ET is the process by which water is transferred from the land to the atmosphere by evaporation from the soil and other surfaces and by transpiration from plants. The conference will address how other states are using ET and what has been learned. Discussions will include the latest ET developments, how land-management practices can be impacted by ET estimates and why obtaining better ET data is important. The conference is 8 a.m to 5 p.m. June 6. The conference begins at 8 a.m. June 7 and concludes with a field trip to NMSU’s Leyendecker Research Center starting at 12:45 p.m. Field trip participants will view ET measurement techniques, a new weather station and an alfalfa field. Conference presenters and moderators are from Arizona State University, Elephant Butte Irrigation District, Jornada Experimental Range, Kipp & Zonen, NASA, New Mexico Office of the State Engineer, New Mexico Pecan Growers, New Mexico Tech, New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute, NMSU Department of Animal and Range Sciences (College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences), NMSU Department of Civil Engineering (College of Engineering), University of Idaho, University of Maryland, University of New Mexico, U.S. Department of Agriculture Southwest Climate Hub and U.S. Geological Survey. For a complete agenda and list of speakers, visit https://et.nmwrri.nmsu.edu/program/ Registration is $55 and includes three meals. For those only attending the field trip, registration is $20 and includes transportation and lunch. To register for the conference, visit https://et.nmwrri.nmsu.edu. For more information, call 575-646-1194 or email jesslynr@nmsu.edu. The New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute was established in 1963 by the New Mexico Legislature and approved under the 1964 Water Resources Research Act. The NM WRRI funds research conducted by faculty and students from universities across the state to address water problems critical to New Mexico and the Southwest. The institute also participates in joint efforts to solve water-related problems along the U.S./Mexico border. Visit nmwrri.nmsu.edu for more information. - 30 - Follow NMSU News on Twitter: http://twitter.com/nmsunews Follow NMSU News on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NMSUNews