Agrimet
About AgriMet: The Bureau of Reclamation, in cooperation with other federal, state, and local sponsors, has developed an agricultural weather information system called "AgriMet," with the purpose of promoting water and energy conservation. AgriMet is a contraction of the words AGRIculture, and METeorology. The original AgriMet program started in the Pacific Northwest in the 1980s, and was expanded into Montana, east of the continental divide, in the 1990s. AgriMet is currently a network of more than 90 automated weather stations that collect and telemeter site-specific weather data. This information is translated into crop-specific water use information. The primary emphasis is on irrigation management – applying the right amount of water at the optimal time. While AgriMet's primary purpose is modeling evapotranspiration, or the amount of water used by a crop, there are many other uses of AgriMet data, including integrated pest management, frost protection, and other crop management activities.
Hydromet
About Hydromet: The Bureau of Reclamation operates a network of automated hydrologic and meteorologic monitoring stations (Hydromet) located throughout the Great Plains and Pacific Northwest Regions. The Hydromet network collects remote field data and transmits it via satellite to provide real-time water management capability. Hydromet data is then integrated with other sources of information to provide streamflow forecasting and current runoff conditions for river and reservoir operations.
