CWA allows buying satellite imagery

The San Diego County Water Authority board approved the purchase of satellite imagery which will measure irrigated landscapes for the purpose of developing water budgets.

The January 25 board vote approves the purchase of satellite imagery from Digital Globe Services, Inc., for an amount not to exceed $95,000.

The CWA’s Fiscal Year 2006-07 budget includes conservation funds for the classification of plant water use for individual and region-wide sites, and the CWA conservation budget also includes the development of a Web-driven, water budget tool to measure irrigated areas and determine irrigated water requirements. Water use will be classified for both agricultural and landscaped areas.

At past conservation-related meetings, landscapers have asked about water use. “This is an opportunity for us to help them determine that,” said Mayda Portillo, a water resources specialist for the CWA.

“We will work with them to make this as user-friendly as possible,” Portillo said. “We’re going to do everything possible to make this as secure as feasible.”

The measurement tool will require classification of vegetation by type, density, geographic location, and water requirements for an area totaling 4,875 square kilometers. Previous efforts have relied on 13-foot resolution infrared satellite imagery, which requires substantial “ground truthing” or site visits to verify measurements. The current infrared imagery will have a two-foot resolution, which will provide a more precise classification and will result in more reliable water budgets and fewer site visits.

The CWA’s member agencies will help obtain participants. “We’re starting out first with commercial sites,” Portillo said.