We’re excited to announce a new NASA Funding Opportunity! WWAO is looking for ideas on solutions that use NASA data or technology to address key water issues identified in our Rio Grande River Basin Needs Assessment. If you think you could partner with us to deliver real-world impact on water availability, use or quality; watershed health; or the impact of climate change on water management, get in touch.

Deadline: April 28, 2023.

Do you work at the intersection of wildfire and water? Earth Science Information Partners (ESIP) has put out a Water & Wildfire Request for Proposals looking for proposals on data assimilation, analysis or visualization tools related to wildfire or water resources. The use of open-source software/cloud computing is strongly encouraged.

Deadline: March 3, 2023.

Short-term drought in the Southwest has greatly improved thanks to recent heavy rains, but long-term drought continues. The latest NOAA/NIDIS Southwest Drought Briefing featured Nikki Tulley of NASA’s Indigenous Peoples Initiative discussing WWAO’s Drought Severity Evaluation Tool. The tool, built with the Navajo Nation Water Management Branch and Desert Research Institute, offers an accessible way to monitor drought severity via the Climate Engine platform.

Snow Today is a NASA-funded project with the National Snow and Ice Data Center that uses satellite and ground data to show near-real-time snow conditions in the western U.S. Through daily data visualizations, the tool reveals where snow is present, where it has snowed lately, how much water is in the snow and how snow trends are changing.

One of WWAO’s thrusts is to bring NASA’s science to decision makers in accessible, actionable formats. WWAO's publication in the Journal of Technology in Society outlines ways in which NASA is working to transfer its knowledge and technology to decision makers on the ground. Stay tuned for our next Research to Operations Workshop in the coming months.

NASA/Esri Agreement Boosts Use of NASA Geospatial Data
A new Space Act Agreement between NASA, Esri expands access to NASA's geospatial content — including new datasets from nearly 100 spaceborne sensors.

Atmospheric Rivers Take Chunk Out of Western Drought
Nine atmospheric rivers inundated California and the West Coast in December and January. The storms caused deaths, floods and landslides, but also improved the drought across a large chunk of the western U.S.

NASA Measures Underground Water Flowing in California
A new study has measured the amount of water flowing deep underground from the Sierra Nevada into California’s Central Valley, finding it provides 10% of all water entering the region.

National Academies: Wastewater Surveillance of Infectious Diseases Worth Investment
Wastewater surveillance was a key part of public-health response to COVID-19. A new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine calls for further development and continued investment.

NASA, Federal Agencies Declare 2023 the Year of Open Science
In an effort to incentivize open science, the White House, 12 federal agencies, and a coalition of more than 85 universities and other organizations have declared 2023 to be the Year of Open Science.

Global Warming Continues With 2022 Fifth Warmest Year on Record
Earth's average surface temperature in 2022 tied with 2015 as the fifth warmest on record, according to an analysis by NASA.

NASA Makes Sense of Earth’s Subtle Motions
What can hidden motions underground tell us about groundwater, climate change, earthquakes and eruptions? NASA scientists are using data gathered 400 miles above Earth to find out.

NASA Launches International Mission to Survey Earth's Water
Led by NASA and the French space agency CNES, the Surface Water and Ocean Topography mission will provide high-definition data on nearly all the water on our planet’s surface.

March 14-16, 2023, Omaha, NE

In the wake of COVID-19, virtual and hybrid meetings are here to stay, and an important way to increase engagement. But we’re excited to be heading to Omaha, Nebraska in March for an in-person look at the water issues facing the Missouri River Basin. The gathering will bring together water managers in the region to dive deep into the issues at hand, and identify areas where NASA might be able to help.

March 10-19, 2023, Austin, TX and online

Our partners at NASA's Applied Sciences Program, the Navajo Nation Water Management Branch and NASA Harvest will host a panel on the use of NASA satellite data to improve food security and water access in the face of a changing climate. Two of NASA's program areas – Water Resources and Agriculture – will talk about their work on understanding where drought will hit hardest, and supporting farmer/decision maker efforts to balance water use with conservation needs.

March 9-11, 2023, Orlando, FL

This year, NASA will again join Commodity Classic, the largest farmer-led agricultural conference in the U.S. NASA works with farmers and others to get actionable Earth data into the hands of decision makers, in time for them to make important decisions on planting, irrigation, and long-term market-based decisions. Check out our NASA booth at the event!

Connect the drops with our Water Portal. Explore our catalogs of western Water Management Needs and NASA Remote-Sensing Capabilities. Whether you are a decision maker, water manager or scientist, share your Needs and Capabilities with the community and we'll be in touch.

Rio Grande River Basin Needs Assessment
As we embark on new water projects in the Rio Grande River Basin, check out our Needs Assessment Report for details of the issues we’re trying to help solve in the region.

Colorado River Science Wiki
A new resource to make Colorado River research, data, tools and other information more accessible.

The S2S Frontier
In the face of climate change, water managers need to better prepare for extremes on the subseasonal to seasonal (S2S) timescale. This article co-authored by NASA, federal and state agencies, and researchers discusses how to provide reliable S2S outlooks weeks to months in advance.

Transform to Open Science Mission
As part of the 2023 Year of Open Science, NASA is championing a Transform to Open Science Mission. Its new guide is focused on accelerating the adoption and understanding of open science.

NASA Earthdata Floods Toolkit
About 40% of the world's population live within 100 km of the coast, and floods affect more people than any other type of natural disaster. NASA's floods toolkit offers up NASA Earth data to help scientists and decision makers understand floods, respond to them, and map their impact.

NASA Earth Science Applications Guidebook
People use Earth science insights from satellites and other sources to inform decisions about water, land, agriculture, disasters, health, and more. This guidebook translates decades of experience in applying this information into shareable knowledge and practical guidance.