Bureau of Reclamation

The Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) uses Landsat data to help monitor consumptive water use throughout the western United States. BOR analysts use Landsat imagery to map irrigated crops for estimating water demand and to monitor interstate and inter-basin water compact compliance. The BOR is also involved in ecological restoration of a number of rivers in the West. Light detection and ranging (lidar), multispectral aerial imagery, and sonar data are used to generate maps of topography, vegetation, and river channel bathymetry, which help guide restoration activities.