How much water do alfalfa farms lose to evaporation? Plus the Weekly News Reel!

Right now, the state of Utah doesn’t have a great way to measure how much of the water used to irrigate farms gets returned to the aquifers or lost to the air through evaporation. A pair of researchers with the Utah Geological Survey are working at Dugout Ranch to measure how much water is lost to evaporation and transpiration, information that could help the state make better water management decisions. //Show Notes: //Photo: This device measures evaporation and transpiration in an alfalfa field at Dugout Ranch down Indian Creek. Photo by Emily Arntsen / KZMU //The Utah Flux Network https://geology.utah.gov/map-pub/survey-notes/the-utah-flux-network/ //Plus, the Weekly News Reel! Sophia Fisher of The Times-Independent discusses the Moab film commission’s move to the Red Cliffs Foundation, the Grand County Commission’s travel budget, a new message for Moab’s billboards, and a crime report of one man who was charged this week with burglary following a domestic violence incident. Alison Harford of the Moab Sun News is on vacation this week, but she’ll be back for the News Reel next Friday. //Weekly News Reel Mentions: //The Times-Independent: Moab’s film commission heads to Red Cliffs through 2024 https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/moabs-film-commission-heads-to-red-cliffs-through-2024/ //The Times-Independent: In-town billboards become flashpoint for tourism messaging https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/in-town-billboards-become-flashpoint-for-tourism-messaging/ //The Times-Independent: Travel expense issue leads to tiff among commissioners https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/travel-expense-issue-leads-to-tiff-among-commissioners/ //The Times-Independent: Flores-Solis in trouble again https://www.moabtimes.com/articles/flores-solis-in-trouble-again/