Evapotranspiration (ET) is the process that transfers water from land surface to the atmosphere as evaporation (or sublimation when below freezing) from open water, soil, and plant canopies and as transpiration by plants. ET is measured by scientists for many different reasons. Hydrologists from the Nevada Water Scientist Center (NVWSC) typically measure ET to help quantify water budgets. Developing accurate water budgets for a basin or region improves our understanding of ground-water flow systems. ET rates have been measured by USGS hydrologists in Nevada since the early 1960’s.
The NVWSC ET web site is a work in progress. The purpose of the web site is to consolidate information about completed and ongoing ET studies. The map below shows locations where ET rates were measured. Click on a triangle for information about the site. Click on the site identification number to go to a page with information about the site, data plots, photos, and a link to retrieve data from the National Water Information System (NWIS). Note: data for many sites are not yet available for retrieval from NWIS. There is an effort underway to archive these data.