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CRDSS <br />TASK MEMORANDUM 1.14-3 <br />Consumptive Use Model <br />Evaluation Criteria <br />1.0 ISSUE <br />The purpose of this task memorandum is to describe the criteria that were used to evaluate the various <br />models considered for estimating evapotranspiration for agricultural lands. <br />2.0 DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS <br />The evaluation criteria were determined and provided to the consumptive use technical subcommittee <br />before being applied to the initial (long) list of consumptive use models. <br />Agency and Contact <br />The agency and the technical contact for the models is important in determining the accessibility of the <br />code and the reputation of the model. The technical contact should be from the agency where the model <br />originated. The responsiveness and accessibility of the contact person were part of the criteria for this <br />category. <br />Programming Language <br />The programming language is critical since most of the models evaluated were PC-based, and the <br />platform needed for this project is a UNIX SGI workstation. FORTRAN, regardless of the compiler, <br />should be portable to a UNIX environment. Other languages, such as Basic or Quick Basic, would be <br />prohibitively difficult to port to a UNIX environment. Another consideration for the programming <br />language is that the model chosen will probably need to be altered to either include or exclude specific <br />evapotranspiration methods and techniques, and this process should be easier in FORTRAN. <br />Development Platform <br />The development platform only became an issue if the model was developed to be interactive or used <br />machine-specific routines. As long as the code is generic, the platform on which it was developed was <br />not a major issue. Again, the models in Basic or Quick Basic make the development platform a critical <br />consideration <br />. <br />Methods Used to Calculate Evapotranspiration <br />The methods used to calculate evapotranspiration that are represented by the models evaluated are <br />described in Task memorandum 1.14-2. At the beginning of the evaluation of the models, the method or <br />methods for use in the CRDSS had not been selected. It was important to know what methods each <br />model would support. <br />1 <br />A275 01.09.95 1.14-3 CSU IDS <br />