This USGS data release consists of three data sets used as the basis for estimates of groundwater discharge from evapotranspiration in Tule Valley and part of Sevier Valley, UT. The data sets are a mapped groundwater discharge area (GDA), a mean modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI), and evapotranspiration (ET) units derived from the MSAVI within the GDA. The GDA represents the area within each valley where discharge from evaporation by open water or bare soil and transpiration from phreatophytic plants exceeds the volume of water contributed by precipitation. The GDA was delineated during field reconnaissance of the study area using techniques similar to those used in previous studies throughout Nevada and eastern Utah. The mean MSAVI image is based on two Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes representing midsummer conditions in 2007 and 2008. MSAVI was calculated for each TM image which were then combined by averaging the pixels within each scene. The resultant mean MSAVI image was used to estimate vegetation assemblages (ET units) within a mapped groundwater discharge area.

This data set represents evapotranspiration (ET) units based on a 2017-2018 summer mean modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI). The MSAVI information was used to partition Tule Valley and part of Sevier Valley, UT into six discharging ET units (playa; open water; very sparse desert shrub; sparse-to-dense desert shrub; grassland; and dense meadow and marshland), and scale estimates of groundwater evapotranspiration (ETg) to the basin level. ET units represent generalized groupings of vegetation and soil conditions. The units are constrained by a groundwater discharge area (GDA) which represents the area where discharge from evaporation by open water or bare soil and transpiration from phreatophytic plants exceeds the volume of water contributed by precipitation.

This data set represents evapotranspiration (ET) units based on a 2017-2018 summer mean modified soil adjusted vegetation index (MSAVI). The MSAVI information was used to partition Tule Valley and part of Sevier Valley, UT into six discharging ET units (playa; open water; very sparse desert shrub; sparse-to-dense desert shrub; grassland; and dense meadow and marshland), and scale estimates of groundwater evapotranspiration (ETg) to the basin level. ET units represent generalized groupings of vegetation and soil conditions. The units are constrained by a groundwater discharge area (GDA) which represents the area where discharge from evaporation by open water or bare soil and transpiration from phreatophytic plants exceeds the volume of water contributed by precipitation.

The groundwater discharge area (GDA) in Tule and part of Sevier valley represents the area where discharge from evaporation by open water or bare soil and transpiration from phreatophytic plants exceeds the volume of water contributed by precipitation. The GDA was delineated during field reconnaissance of the study area using techniques similar to those used in previous studies throughout Nevada and eastern Utah.

The groundwater discharge area (GDA) in Tule and part of Sevier valley represents the area where discharge from evaporation by open water or bare soil and transpiration from phreatophytic plants exceeds the volume of water contributed by precipitation. The GDA was delineated during field reconnaissance of the study area using techniques similar to those used in previous studies throughout Nevada and eastern Utah.

The mean MSAVI image is based on two Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes representing midsummer conditions in 2007 and 2008. MSAVI was calculated for each image which were then combined by calculating the mean for each pixel in the scenes. The resultant MSAVI image was used to estimate vegetation assemblages (ET units) within a mapped groundwater discharge area.

The mean MSAVI image is based on two Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) scenes representing midsummer conditions in 2007 and 2008. MSAVI was calculated for each image which were then combined by calculating the mean for each pixel in the scenes. The resultant MSAVI image was used to estimate vegetation assemblages (ET units) within a mapped groundwater discharge area.

The supplemental data presented here contains three raster datasets representing the evapotranspiration (ET) units for northern, southern, and western regions of Harney Basin (raster datasets in .tif format) and one vector dataset of ET-unit observations used to delineate ET units (vector dataset in .shp format). Eleven ET units were identified from ET-unit observations of land cover and include bare soil or playa (1), marsh (2), dry meadow (3), wet meadow (4), open water (5), riparian (6), mixed shrubland (7), phreatophyte shrubland (8), xerophyte shrubland (9), sagebrush shrubland (10), and xerophyte grassland (11). Irrigated areas are excluded from ET units. Unpublished land-cover datasets collected by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were used, in part, to generate ET-unit observations and are provided (vector datasets in .shp and .csv format) in the sub-child item, Harney Basin Land-Cover Observations.

The supplemental data presented here contains three raster datasets representing the evapotranspiration (ET) units for northern, southern, and western regions of Harney Basin (raster datasets in .tif format) and one vector dataset of ET-unit observations used to delineate ET units (vector dataset in .shp format). Eleven ET units were identified from ET-unit observations of land cover and include bare soil or playa (1), marsh (2), dry meadow (3), wet meadow (4), open water (5), riparian (6), mixed shrubland (7), phreatophyte shrubland (8), xerophyte shrubland (9), sagebrush shrubland (10), and xerophyte grassland (11). Irrigated areas are excluded from ET units. Unpublished land-cover datasets collected by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) were used, in part, to generate ET-unit observations and are provided (vector datasets in .shp and .csv format) in the sub-child item, Harney Basin Land-Cover Observations.

This vector dataset consists of 2 polygon shapefiles representing the groundwater discharge areas (GDA) and evapotranspiration (ET) units for the Amargosa Wild and Scenic River and contributing areas. GDAs were delineated by visual interpretation and subdivided into ET units of moist soil, open water, and vegetated areas.