WATER IS ONE OF OUR MOST VITAL RESOURCES, BUT ITS AVAILABILITY IS INCREASINGLY THREATENED BY POPULATION GROWTH, CLIMATE CHANGE, AND LAND-USE CHANGES. IN TEXAS, WOODY PLANT ENCROACHMENT--WHERE SHRUBS AND TREES OVERTAKE GRASSLANDS--HAS SIGNIFICANTLY ALTERED WATER USE PATTERNS, REDUCING AQUIFER RECHARGE AND INCREASING FRESHWATER DEMAND. WITH TEXAS'S POPULATION PROJECTED TO GROW RAPIDLY, UNDERSTANDING HOW DIFFERENT TYPES OF VEGETATION IMPACT WATER AVAILABILITY IS CRITICAL FOR ENSURING SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, AND RESILIENT COMMUNITIES.THIS PROJECT WILL USE ADVANCED SATELLITE TOOLS AND ON-THE-GROUND MEASUREMENTS TO STUDY WATER USE, SPECIFICALLY EVAPOTRANSPIRATION (ET), ACROSS TEXAS'S DIVERSE LANDSCAPES. BY EVALUATING THE ACCURACY OF SATELLITE-BASED ET ESTIMATES AND ANALYZING HOW VEGETATION CHARACTERISTICS INFLUENCE WATER CONSUMPTION, THIS RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE ACTIONABLE INSIGHTS FOR FARMERS, LAND MANAGERS, AND POLICYMAKERS. THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS TO IMPROVE WATER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES, ENHANCE AQUIFER RECHARGE, AND REDUCE IRRIGATION DEMAND, BENEFITING NOT ONLY TEXAS BUT ALSO SERVING AS A MODEL FOR ADDRESSING WATER RESOURCE CHALLENGES IN SIMILAR REGIONS WORLDWIDE.