RGDSS_Historic_CUreport_20040601

• Title: RGDSS - Rio Grande Historic Crop Consumptive Use Analysis
• Description: The documentation is for the Rio Grande Basin Historic Crop Consumptive Use Analysis, developed during the RGDSS implementation for the period 1950 through 2002. It includes 100 percent of the crop consumptive use in the basin for the period. Documentation consists of the final Historic Crop Consumptive Use Analysis Report and supporting appendices.
• Decision Support - Doc Type: Modeling Dataset Documentation
• Date: 6/1/2004
• DSS Category: Consumptive Use
• DSS: Rio Grande
• Basin: Rio Grande
• Contract/PO #: C153863
• Grant Type: Non-Reimbursable
• Bill Number: HB98-1189, SB99-173
• Prepared By: Leonard Rice Engineering

4.12 Crop Characteristic File (rgdss.cch)
The crop characteristic file contains information on planting, harvesting, and root depth.
Standard TR-21 Blaney-Criddle crop characteristics were revised, along with crop
coefficients described in Section 4.12 above, to yield evapotranspiration results more
consistent with results obtained using the Modified Hargreaves method. Table 14
presents the TR-21 crop characteristics and crop characteristics representative of growing
patterns in the San Luis Valley that were estimated for the main crops in the basin
including pasture, alfalfa, potatoes, and small grains. The procedure and results of this
analysis are provided in the Rio Grande Historic Crop Consumptive Use -Calibration of
Blaney-Criddle Coefficients memorandum, included in Appendix F.
Table 14
TR-21 and Calibrated Season Beginning Temperature, Ending Temperature, and
Length
Beginning Temperature
(Degrees Farenheit) Ending Temperature
(Degrees Farenheit) Length of Season
(Days)
Crop TR-21 Calibrated TR-21 Calibrated TR-21 Calibrated
Alfalfa 50 45 28 28 365 365
Potatoes 60 50 32 32 130 130
Small Grains 45 45 32 32 130 130
Pasture
(Meadow)
45
45
45
45
365
365
The representative Blaney-Criddle crop characteristics were provided to the Relational
Database Contractor and are stored in HydroBase. The crop characteristic file used in the
historic consumptive use analysis was created by hand. However, it is anticipated that the
precu DMI will be used to extract the representative crop characteristics from HydroBase
and develop the crop characteristics input file.
4.13 StateCU Interface GIS Files
The StateCU GUI uses ArcView shape files to display climate station locations, structure
locations, hydrography, water division boundaries, and the basin boundary. These
themes where developed for the RGDSS project by the GIS consultant. Consistent with
other ESRI products, each GIS theme requires available files with the extensions *.dbf,
*.sbn, *.sbx, and *.shp in order to display correctly.
cureport_6-2004.doc 33 of 48 June, 2004