Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings
Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings
Guide to Estimating Irrigation Water Needs of Landscape Plantings
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Chapter 4—<br />
Using the <strong>Landscape</strong><br />
Coefficient <strong>to</strong> Estimate<br />
<strong>Landscape</strong><br />
Evapotranspiration<br />
The landscape coefficient and reference evapotranspiration<br />
now are used <strong>to</strong> estimate landscape evapotranspiration<br />
for the plantings described in<br />
Chapter 3. This chapter completes the process used<br />
<strong>to</strong> produce estimates <strong>of</strong> landscape water loss. Subsequent<br />
chapters discuss how <strong>to</strong> use estimates <strong>of</strong><br />
ETL <strong>to</strong> calculate <strong>to</strong>tal irrigation water needs and how<br />
<strong>to</strong> apply this information in landscape management<br />
programs.<br />
In Chapter 3, seven landscape planting cases were<br />
described and used for landscape coefficient calculations.<br />
These cases will be used here <strong>to</strong> calculate<br />
landscape evapotranspiration with the ETL formula.<br />
The ETL formula was described in Chapter 2 and is<br />
presented here for quick reference:<br />
ETL = KL x ETo<br />
<strong>Landscape</strong> Evapotranspiration =<br />
<strong>Landscape</strong> Coefficient x Reference Evapotranspiration<br />
For each case, reference evapotranspiration (ETo)<br />
values will be taken from Appendix A. All are normal<br />
year average values for the month <strong>of</strong> July for<br />
the respective locations.<br />
Case 1— KL = 0.5<br />
ETo for San Jose = 7.44 inches<br />
ETL = 0.5 x 7.44 = 3.72 inches<br />
Case 2— KL = 0.24<br />
ETo for Los Angeles = 6.5 inches<br />
ETL = 0.24 x 6.5 = 1.56 inches<br />
Case 3— KL = 0.8<br />
ETo for Sacramen<strong>to</strong> = 8.6 inches<br />
ETL = 0.8 x 8.6 = 6.88 inches<br />
Case 4— KL = 0.25<br />
ETo for San Francisco = 4.9 inches<br />
ETL = 0.25 x 4.9 = 1.22 inches<br />
Case 5— KL = 0.30<br />
ETo for Pasadena = 7.4 inches<br />
ETL = 0.30 x 7.4 = 2.22 inches<br />
Case 6— KL = 0.78<br />
ETo for San Diego = 5.8 inches<br />
ETL = 0.78 x 5.8 = 4.59 inches<br />
Case 7— KL = 0.1<br />
ETo for Monterey = 5.5 inches<br />
ETL = 0.1 x 5.5 = 0.55 inches<br />
These calculations show that landscape irrigation<br />
water needs vary substantially. Estimates range from<br />
0.55 inches <strong>to</strong> 6.88 inches—more than a 12-fold difference.<br />
The two fac<strong>to</strong>rs used <strong>to</strong> determine ETL, the landscape<br />
coefficient and reference evapotranspiration,<br />
are solely responsible for producing these differences<br />
in water loss estimates. For plantings in the<br />
same location (i.e., where the same ETo values will<br />
be used), the differences will arise solely from the<br />
landscape coefficient. To produce useful estimates<br />
<strong>of</strong> water loss, therefore, it is important <strong>to</strong> carefully<br />
determine the value <strong>of</strong> KL.<br />
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