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<br />Thus the scope of the study will be limited to I) new development in an unincorporated <br />area of northwest Douglas County, 2) existing residential groundwater users in <br />unincorporated areas of northwest Douglas County, and 3) an existing commercial <br />building (supplied by groundwater) in a developed area of northwest Douglas County. <br />This project represents a sound, conservative approach to evaluating a new and <br />innovative use of an existing water resource for the people of the state of Colorado. <br /> <br />Task 1. Determine Methodfor Estimating Evapotranspiration of Native Vegetation <br /> <br />The first step in quantifying the impacts of rainwater conservation on existing water <br />rights will be determining the evapotranspiration (ET) of native vegetation in a selected <br />area. ET is the consumptive use of water and includes evaporation of water from land <br />(and water) surfaces and transpiration by vegetations. Determining an appropriate <br />method of estimating ET depends on the type of vegetation, time of year, and soil type. <br />For larger areas of native vegetation, this can be exceptionally difficult due to inadequate <br />information about the types, density, and vigor of naturally-occurring species6. Far more <br />research has been conducted about the needs and resultant ET of irrigated agricultural <br />crops. <br /> <br />ET can be determined either by measurement or calculations. Among the physical <br />measuring methods used are soil water depletion, using lysimeters or tanks, water balance <br />(typically used in larger areas), or some combination of methods7. A number of <br />additional analytical methods are also used to calculate ET8. <br /> <br />A significant body of extant research exists that has not been mined or applied to the <br />issue of rainwater conservation in Colorado. This project proposes to develop a valid and <br />scientifically defensible method of estimating native vegetation ET by conducting an <br />extensive review of the existing literature including peer-reviewed and agency <br />publications. The project team will make extensive use of existing research and data <br />from resources such as the State of Colorado Decision Support System and the Colorado <br />Water Resources Research Institute affiliated with Colorado State University. Using <br />existing research and data sources, recommendations will be made for the estimation of <br />the ET of native vegetation and landscaping in northwest Douglas County. <br /> <br />Task 2. Identify Rainwater Conservation Infrastructure Requirements <br /> <br />Although technical innovations and novel rainwater conservation applications continue to <br />be developed, the basic physical and operational tenets of this favorable practice are <br />relatively mature. This portion of the study will describe the physical infrastructure <br />required for rainwater conservation on both a macro (large commercial developments) <br /> <br />5 American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Evapotranspiration and Irrigation Water Requirements, <br />ASCE Publications, 1990 <br />6 Johns, EL ed., Water Use by Naturally Occurring Vegetation Including an Annotated Bibliography, <br />American Society of Civil Engineers, 1989. <br />7 ASCE, op. dt. <br />S Ibid <br /> <br />6 <br />