Beginning in Fall 2025, the Western States Water Council (WSWC) and the Western States Federal Agency Support Team (WestFAST) co-hosted a series of webinars to share how states and federal agencies are using Landsat data to support water-related decisions in the West.
Landsat Data for Water Resource Decision Making in Idaho (October 2025)
Speaker: Phil Blankenau, Evapotranspiration Analyst, Geospatial Technology Division, IDWR
Idaho became one of the earliest users of Landsat 1 data in 1975. The Idaho Department of Water Resources (IDWR) is responsible for the administration and management of Idaho waters, and Landsat data is regularly used to support water administration decisions. IDWR began using Landsat for mapping evapotranspiration (ET) for individual agricultural fields in 2000. When NASA proposed removing the expensive Thermal Infrared Sensor (TIRS) from Landsat 8, Idaho made several presentations on their use of Landsat data at Western States Water Council meetings. They expressed their concerns about the loss of TIRS data, and galvanized the Western States along with their Governors and Congressional delegations, resulting in the inclusion of the TIRS in both Landsat 8 and 9.
Recorded Webinar Link (here)