What is the Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration Network?
The Texas High Plains is the most intensively irrigated region in the state. High quality, local meteorological data are needed for accurate irrigation scheduling. The data also are critical for management and for interpreting results from the state’s foremost agricultural research programs. The data are essential to the application of numerous agricultural management crop related and water use models. The Texas High Plains ET Networks (North Plains and South Plains networks) were established in the 1990’s to provide convenient and timely access to agriculturally based meteorological data for use by producers, agricultural researchers, and others interested in agriculturally relevant meteorological data.
Organization and Operation
The Texas High Plains Evapotranspiration (TXHPET) Network is the product of excellent collaboration between engineers and scientists of the North Plains ET (NPET) Network, based at Amarillo, Texas, and the South Plains ET (SPET) Network, based at Lubbock, Texas. The network depends upon agricultural research and extension personnel to provide the best estimates of water use for reference and crops grown within the region. The respective networks are maintained and supported internally by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station and Texas Cooperative Extension. Through valued and critical support funding from our partners (see Credits/Partners) and various grants over time, this information is made available principally for agricultural irrigation scheduling purposes. However, many other applications and user groups have supported and utilized the data since the TXHPET’s inception. Sustained future operations of the network are dependent upon whether base funding can be secured.
Data Users
Data on this site are currently utilized by a variety of clientele for many uses. Our primary purpose is to provide timely, relevant meteorological data for use in agricultural irrigation management and other associated agricultural applications. From the inception of the networks, agricultural researchers, producers, and agricultural business consultants and service providers constitute the largest group(s) of the user clientele. Progressively over time, additional data features and applications (including lawn and turf water use estimates) have been added to the network site, greatly expanding our clientele base. (For more detail on data and applications, see Data Use and Conditions of Use.)
