Figure 4. A map of the Feather River Watershed with the soil moisture response units (SMRUs) and planned locations for soil moisture monitoring stations.

Changes in vegetation in a large watershed due to wildfire can have a substantial influence on actual evapotranspiration rates and water availability. After a large, intense wildfire, evapotranspiration rates are expected to decrease. As vegetation reestablishes, the evapotranspiration rates increase over a period of years, back to pre-fire conditions. Watershed models typically use input layers...