** AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE KEY GOAL OF THIS PROJECT, CODENAMED QUENCH, IS TO ESTIMATE SOIL MOISTURE CONTENT (SMC) AT THE ROOT ZONE LEVEL FOR DRYLAND FARMING. THESE SMC MAPS WILL BE PRODUCED AT 30M SPATIAL RESOLUTION EVERY 2-3 DAYS. WE STRATIFY THE TARGET ROOT ZONE FOR SMCS BASED ON SOIL DEPTH INCREMENTS OF 5, 10, 20, 50, AND 100 CM. THESE CHOICES ARE INFORMED, AND CONSTRAINED, BY THE AVAILABILITY OF IN SITU OBSERVATIONS AT THESE DEPTHS AND ARE SUFFICIENT TO CAPTURE FINE-ROOT PRODUCTIVITY DYNAMICS CRITICAL FOR PLANT GROWTH. THESE FIELD LEVEL SMC MAPS CAN BE USED BY GROWERS TO INFORM THEIR DECISION-MAKING PROCESS THROUGHOUT THE CROP SEASON. OUR STUDY REGION IS INFORMED BY DATA COLLATED BY THE USDA IDENTIFYING WINTER WHEAT AREAS THAT ARE IN DROUGHT PRONE AREAS; WE FURTHER RESTRICT OUR STUDY AREA TO THOSE REGIONS WHERE WINTER WHEAT IS THE MAIN CROP. OVER 83% OF THE AREA WHERE WINTER WHEAT IS LOCATED EXPERIENCES SOME FORM OF DROUGHT, INCLUDING EXCEPTIONAL, EXTREME, SEVERE, OR MODERATE CONDITIONS. OUR TARGET AREA ENCOMPASSES THE STATES OF COLORADO, KANSAS, NEBRASKA, OKLAHOMA, AND TEXAS. THE SMC-BASED DECISION-MAKING THAT THE EFFORT WILL SUPPORT INCLUDES, (1) WHEN TO PLANT SEEDS, (2) WHAT CROPS TO GROW, AND ALSO (3) WHEN TO HARVEST EARLY AND GROW SOME OTHER CROP. IN SEVERAL AREAS, SUCH AS THE HIGH PLAINS AQUIFER WHERE GROUNDWATER SOURCES HAVE BEEN SEVERELY DEPLETED, IRRIGATED FARMS ARE EXPECTED TO TRANSITION TO DRYLAND FARMING.