Groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) in Nevada play a critical role in sustaining biodiversity and supporting human and nature's water needs. These systems rely on accessible water levels, making them particularly vulnerable to changes in groundwater availability caused by climate variability and human activities. The Nevada GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool was developed by the Desert Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison to fill a gap in understanding of groundwater availability and ecosystem response for groundwater-dependent ecosystems. The purpose of the tool is to enable users to get insights on how GDE groundwater needs vary across climate, soils and vegetation type. On this page, you can access the tool, find more information about groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and access materials used to develop the tool.
To access the tool, go to https://watersmartapp-trial.streamlit.app/ (note that it may take a few minutes to "wake up" the tool)
Tool documentation is available here [to be linked].
Tool frequently asked questions is available here [to be linked].
Learn more about GDEs in Nevada here.
Project overview
The Nevada GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool was developed by the Desert Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2025 as part of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Applied Science Project R19AP00278 entitled “Quantifying Environmental Water Requirements for Groundwater Dependent Ecosystems for Resilient Water Management.” The objectives of the project were to 1) generate estimates of groundwater use by GDE vegetation considering ecological and environmental attributes of the GDE; 2) assess sensitivities of vegetation productivity to changes in groundwater availability across the gradient of climatic and soils conditions that exist across the study area; 3) deliver these results in the form of a regionally applicable and easy-to-use framework; and 4) use these results to parameterize and enhance state-and-transition models that simulate long-term changes in vegetation communities associated with changes in groundwater availability.
The project employed numerical simulations with a one-dimensional biophysical model of root water uptake and groundwater flow under variably saturated conditions adapted from Lowry and Loheide (2010) that was parameterized, calibrated and validated with data from monitoring sites across the Great Basin. Model outputs of plant groundwater use (ETGW), plant production (leaf area index (LAI)), and groundwater subsidy across a gradient of climate, soil textures, and rooting depths were used to develop a predictive statistical model for the Nevada GDE Water Needs Explorer Tool.
During the project, we held several workshops with water managers, researchers, students, and other professionals to share information about the project, gather feedback to make the project more useful, and share a draft of the tool. We used feedback from this community to improve and refine the tool. A paper describing the methods for the modeling is still in preparation but an overview is available [here – link to Christine’s powerpoint?].
Reference:
Lowry CS, Loheide II SP. 2010. Groundwater-dependent vegetation: Quantifying the groundwater subsidy. Water Resources Research 46:W06202. doi:10.1029/2009WR008874
Acknowledgements
Funding for this project was provided by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation WaterSMART Applied Science Project R19AP00278 with matching funds from the Desert Research Institute, The Nature Conservancy (TNC), University of Wisconsin-Madison, and NV Energy Foundation. The project team included Dr. Christine Albano (PI; Desert Research Institute); Dr. Stephen Loheide II (co-PI; University of Wisconsin Madison), Dr. Laurel Saito (co-PI; TNC), Sarah Byer (TNC), Dr. Kevin Badik (TNC), and Dr. Louis Provencher (TNC). The project team thanks the many water managers, researchers, students, and other professionals who provided input during the project to inform the research and improve the utility of the tool.
Disclaimers
This tool provides estimates of how a groundwater-dependent ecosystem (GDE) would respond IF it existed at the selected location with the chosen characteristics. However, GDEs do not occur at many locations in Nevada and it is your responsibility to understand your results relate to a hypothetical system at the location you specify. Estimates of GDE water needs are based on what water a hypothetical GDE might use under the climate conditions associated with the location on a map and the soil, vegetation, and groundwater depth characteristics you define. The soil hydraulic properties, vegetation characteristics and health and groundwater conditions in an actual GDE might differ and could therefore cause actual water use to be substantially different. Furthermore, the model developed here is a simplification of our current understanding of ecosystem processes and may not accurately quantify water use in all cases.
This dataset does not prove or make any claim about the nature and/or extent of groundwater levels or GDEs for any mapped location. The dataset is non-regulatory and no information presented here is intended to imply whether a project can or should be approved or denied, and the data are not legally binding in any way. This tool does not replace the need for field surveys or agency consultation to determine water level status, presence of GDEs, or impacts of groundwater use or climate.
This tool does not contain bias in favor or against any one form of conservation or land use development. This tool does not preempt the authority of local land use agencies.
Features mapped here are not intended for legal uses and no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by The Nature Conservancy or data contributors as to the accuracy of the data. The Nature Conservancy shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.
Any sale, distribution, loan, or offering for use of these data, in whole or in part, is prohibited. The use of these data to produce other products and services with the intent to use or sell for a profit is prohibited. All parties receiving these data must be informed of these restrictions. This is an aggregate dataset with multiple data contributors.
