MEASURING AND ESTIMATING OPEN WATER EVAPORATION IN ELEPHANT BUTTE RESERVOIR IN NEW MEXICO

摘要

Elephant Butte Reservoir with an estimated surface area of 40,000 acres at full capacity is considered a major component of the Rio Grande hydrology. Understanding evaporative loss from the reservoir is needed for management and distribution of the Rio Grande water among various users. An eddy covariance tower is currently measuring the evaporation rate in a localized area of the reservoir. However, evaporation is highly variable across the Reservoir's water surface. This paper describes a methodology to account for spatial and temporal variability of the evaporation from reservoir using a combination of remote sensing and ground measurement.