Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5043
U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY
Scientific Investigations Report 2006–5043
Table 1. Estimated average annual evapotranspiration for different types of land cover in Ash Meadows and Oasis Valley areas, Nevada, and Death Valley, California.
| Land cover type | Description of land cover, water table, and soil conditions | Mean annual evapotranspiration (feet) |
|---|---|---|
| Ash Meadows, 1993–97 (Laczniak and others, 1999, table 10) | ||
| Dense meadow vegetation | Area dominated by dense meadow vegetation, primarily trees, mixed trees and grasses, or mixed grasses and shrubs; water table below land surface; soils moist to dry. | 3.6 |
| Dense grassland vegetation | Area dominated by dense to moderately dense grassland vegetation, primarily grasses, short rushes, and occasional scattered trees and shrubs; intermittently flooded; water at or near land surface; soils wet to moist. | 3.5 |
| Sparse grassland vegetation | Area dominated by sparse grassland vegetation; primarily grasses; water table below land surface; soils dry. | 1.3 |
| Moist bare soil | Area dominated by moist bare soil; vegetation very sparse, primarily grasses; intermittently flooded, water table near or below land surface; soils moist. | 2.6 |
| Oasis Valley, 1996–2000 (Reiner and others, 2002, table 5) | ||
| Dense meadow and woodland vegetation | Area dominated by dense meadow and woodland vegetation, primarily trees, meadow and marsh grasses, or mixed trees, shrubs, and grasses; trees include desert ash and cottonwood, with some desert willow and mesquite; water table typically ranges from above land surface to about 20 feet below land surface; soil wet to dry. | 3.6 |
| Moderately dense to dense grassland vegetation | Area dominated by moderately dense to dense grassland vegetation, primarily saltgrass, and/or short rushes with an occasional tree or shrub; intermittently flooded; water table typically less than 10 feet below land surface; soil wet to moist. | 3.2 |
| Sparse to moderately dense grassland vegetation | Area dominated by sparse to moderately dense grassland vegetation, primarily salt and bunch grasses with occasional tree or shrub; water table typically ranges from a few feet below land surface to about 10 feet below land surface; soil damp to dry. | 2.0 |
| Moist bare soil | Area dominated by moist bare soil; vegetation very sparse, primarily grasses; intermittently flooded, water table typically near land surface throughout most of the year but in some areas declines to a maximum depth of about 5 feet below land surface during late summer and early autumn; soil wet to moist. | 2.6 |
| Sparse to moderately dense shrub land vegetation | Area dominated by sparse to moderately dense shrub land vegetation, primarily greasewood, rabbitbrush, and wolfberry; water table typically ranges from about 5 feet below land surface to about 20 feet below land surface; soil damp to dry. | 1.2 |
| Death Valley, 1997–2001 (DeMeo and others, 2003, table 3) | ||
| High-density vegetation | Area of high-density vegetation, primarily marsh and meadow grasses, and mesquites; perennially flooded; water table ranges from near surface to 20 feet below land surface; soil wet to dry. | 3.0 |
| Moderate-density vegetation | Area dominated by moderate-density vegetation, primarily salt and bunch grasses, arrowweed, mesquite, minor pickleweed; water table typically ranges from about 2 to 20 feet below land surface; soil moist to dry. | 2.0 |
| Low-density vegetation | Area dominated by low-density vegetation, primarily salt grass, pickleweed, and shrub mesquite; water table typically ranges from about 5 to 20 feet below land surface; soil damp to dry. | .60 |
| Bare-soil playa | Area of playa dominated by bare-soil playa, primarily silt; some salt encrustation; water table typically ranges from near land surface to about 10 feet below land surface; soil damp to dry. | .21 |
For more information about USGS activities in Nevada, visit the USGS Nevada Water Science Center home page .
U.S. Department of the Interior |
U.S. Geological Survey
Persistent URL: https://pubs.water.usgs.gov/sir20065043
Page Contact Information: Publications Team
Page Last Modified: Thursday, 01-Dec-2016 18:55:49 EST
