Washington Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is collaborating with Washington State University, City of Tacoma, The Evergreen State College, and Clemson University on a project to measure the effectiveness of local trees to mitigate stormwater runoff in western Washington. Twenty-one trees will be fitted with sensors to measure how much water a tree uses, also called its water budget.
Study objectives
The study will answer how much rainfall is managed by an individual tree. It will:
- Quantify annual transpiration rates and annual canopy interception rates for evergreen and deciduous trees native to the Pacific Northwest.
- Complete water budget and estimate hydrologic value of existing trees.
Project tasks and key deliverables
Contract IAA & Scope of Work
- Project administration
- Quality Assurance and Project Protocol development
- Instrument purchase and installation
- Instrument maintenance and data downloads
- Data analysis and QAQC
- Final report
- Communication & outreach