To understand the effects of biomass treatments on forest water resources, comparisons are made at a watershed scale.

• Rainfall and other climatic inputs that affect plant water use are measured.
• The quality and quantity of water leaving each watershed site is carefully documented before, during, and after a wide range of management intensities is applied to the test areas.
• Well-established computer models are then used to take the watershed study results and apply them across landscape conditions, and extended to look at biofuel scenarios for the entire southeastern U.S.