Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID NM_2025_GIS

Geographic Information System for Water Resources Research Planning and Outreach

Institute: New Mexico
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $27,401 Total Non-Federal Funds: $15,401

Principal Investigators: Alexander Fernald

Project Summary: Analyzing and presenting geographic information is critical for understanding the complex relationships between hydrologic, human, and other natural systems. The New Mexico Water Resources Research Institute (NMWRRI) has been at the forefront of providing geographic information for New Mexico stakeholders for over a decade. The institute's geographic information system lab continues to improve and advance techniques in spatial analysis, remote sensing, and web-mapping by working closely with stakeholders, systems scientists, and modelers. The lab focuses on delivering spatial information for an ongoing New Mexico Statewide Water Assessment, which is being used for drought planning as well as regional water plans. The lab is working on utilizing current remote sensing and computing techniques to provide near real-time information on components of the water budget; particularly evapotranspiration. The lab also leverages funding and collaborates with numerous researchers around the state and nation on water research, and serves on the New Mexico Water Data Act Metadata Working Group.