Soil Water Content Data for The Bushland, Texas Large Weighing Lysimeter Experiments

Metadata Updated: July 11, 2025

This dataset contains soil water content data developed from neutron probe readings taken in access tubes in each of the four large, precision weighing lysimeters and in the fields surrounding each lysimeter at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL) beginning in 1989. Readings were taken periodically with a field-calibrated neutron probe at depths from 10 cm to 230 cm (maximum of 190 cm depth in the lysimeters) in 20-cm depth increments. Periods between readings were typically one to two weeks, sometimes longer according to experimental design and need for data. Field calibrations in the Pullman soil series were done every few years. Calibrations typically produced a regression equation with RMSE <= 0.01 m3 m-3. Data were used to guide irrigation scheduling to achieve full or deficit irrigation as required by the experimental design. Data may be used to calculate the soil profile water content in mm of water from the surface to the maximum depth of reading. Profile water content differences between reading times in the same access tube are considered the change in soil water storage during the period in question and may be used to compute evapotranspiration (ET) using the soil water balance equation: ET = (change in storage + P + I + F + R, where P is precipitation during the period, I is irrigation during the period, F is soil water flux (drainage) out of the bottom of the soil profile during the period, and R is the sum of runon and runoff during the period. Typically, R is taken as zero because the fields were furrow diked to prevent runon and runoff during most of each growing season. See the README for descriptions of each data file.

Access & Use Information

Public: This dataset is intended for public access and use. License: Creative Commons CCZero

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Dates

Metadata Created Date	March 30, 2024
Metadata Updated Date	July 11, 2025
Data Update Frequency	irregular

Metadata Source

Data.json Data.json Metadata
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Harvested from USDA JSON

Additional Metadata

Resource Type	Dataset
Metadata Created Date	March 30, 2024
Metadata Updated Date	July 11, 2025
Publisher	Agricultural Research Service
Maintainer	Evett, Steven R.
Identifier	10.15482/USDA.ADC/1526332
Data Last Modified	2025-05-30
Public Access Level	public
Data Update Frequency	irregular
Bureau Code	005:18
Metadata Context	https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.jsonld
Schema Version	https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema
Catalog Describedby	https://project-open-data.cio.gov/v1.1/schema/catalog.json
Harvest Object Id	2f999b56-cbac-43d1-bc02-44ff4215c736
Harvest Source Id	d3fafa34-0cb9-48f1-ab1d-5b5fdc783806
Harvest Source Title	USDA JSON
License	https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
Old Spatial	{"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -102.09906463948, 35.191719970106, -102.07671433134, 35.19121493622, -102.07678299485, 35.1865853205, -102.07609634934, 35.177044674547, -102.09913330298, 35.177072738625, -102.09906463948, 35.191719970106}
Program Code	005:040
Source Datajson Identifier	True
Source Hash	8e1bd2c2721b991afec842a33b2d0f57fa4cf581433e17380d2ca93275c892cb
Source Schema Version	1.1
Spatial	{"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": -102.09906463948, 35.191719970106, -102.07671433134, 35.19121493622, -102.07678299485, 35.1865853205, -102.07609634934, 35.177044674547, -102.09913330298, 35.177072738625, -102.09906463948, 35.191719970106}
Temporal	1989-01-01/1989-01-01

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