Western Water Applications Office (WWAO) Overview

Abstract

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Western Water Applications Office (WWAO) aims to put satellite data to work for water management in the western United States. Research scientists have been using satellite, airborne, and computer model data for more than 40 years to study the Earth’s water cycle. The impacts of the federal government’s sustained investments have been significant, both to our general scientific knowledge, and to institutions worldwide who have incorporated, built on, and otherwise relied on this expertise. NASA’s 18 in-flight satellite missions and instruments, plus dozens of airborne measurements, provide remote sensing measurements with sampling periods that could provide value for water resource management. However, in many cases, NASA scientists and technologists are unaware of water management challenges and needs, and operational agencies and organizations may not have the time or expertise to access, process, or analyze NASA information for decision-making. The WWAO seeks to bridge this gap through sustained engagement with the water management community to understand what decisions are being made, identify gaps/needs in monitoring and data, co-develop projects to address the needs and assist in transitioning successful projects for operational use. This talk will provide an introduction to NASA’s WWAO, along with a description of activities and highlights of current projects and tools.