acre-foot: Aquafornia Water Word of the Week
Aquafornia’s Water Word of the Week is acre-foot, a common term in the water world and one which is defined by sister site Aquapedia as “a common way to measure water volume and use.”
According to the Aquapedia entry, “An acre-foot of water equals about 326,000 gallons, or enough water to cover an acre of land 1 foot deep. To put it another way, an acre-foot of water is enough to flood a football field 1-foot deep (a football field is roughly an acre in size).”
For more information, the Water Education Foundation has a number of publications referencing acre-feet, including the “Layperson’s Guide to California Water,” “Layperson’s Guide to the Central Valley Project” and “Layperson’s Guide to the State Water Project.” There is also the report by the Pacific Institute, “California’s Next Million Acre-Feet: Saving Water, Energy, and Money,” published in 2010.
Developed and managed by the Foundation, Aquapedia aims to provide teachers, students, journalists, water professionals, policymakers and the general public with balanced information on major water issues, topics and terms.