This year-long, iterative study defined wet water and paper water limitations to regional water use and develop a conceptual water budget to estimate potential gaps today through 2050. With the help of the Water Supply & Demand Working Group, consisting of stakeholders and representatives of major water using sectors, a water budget for the entire Upper Gila Watershed was created. To read the in-depth findings, click HERE.
Water Supply and Demand Budget for the Upper Gila Watershed
Farming accounts for 90% of regional water use; mining is the next largest water user, at 5% of total demand
Though demand is projected to remain relatively constant throughout the watershed through 2050, there is a great amount of uncertainty about future supply – creating wide ranges (up to 65,000 acre-feet) in the regional water balance. Uncertainty in supply could be influenced by multiple factors, including possible legal constraints, shifting socio-economic conditions, and climate variability.