Above-average rainfall in the last twelve years has led to rising water levels in the Devils Lake basin in northeastern North Dakota. An irrigation test project has been started at ten farmercooperator field sites within the basin to estimate how much additional water can be utilized via irrigation of agricultural crops. Comprehensive soil/water compatibility investigations coupled with GIS analysis of detailed soil survey data (SSURGO) will be utilized to assess the potential for sustainable irrigation development and potentially extend the results to the entire basin. The installation and monitoring phase of the test project will be described in this paper. Water balance monitoring at the sites will include measurements of rainfall and irrigation, soil water content, deep percolation, and ground water level. The surface energy balance algorithm for land (SEBAL) model will be developed in Erdas Imagine/Arc Map interface for estimating evapotranspiration (ET) in the basin. Correlations will be developed between ET and soil physical and chemical properties affecting sustainability as well as other factors, such as crop types, soil map units, and landscape position in order to assess the feasibility, impact, and sustainability of the larger scale irrigation in this mostly non-irrigated basin.