Department of Water Resources

Programs

Nevada State Water Plan - Part 2 - Introduction


Part 2, Water Use and Forecasts, of the Nevada State Water Plan extends the background presentation in Part 1 to include more recent water use trends and assessments, as well as a socioeconomic assessment and forecast of the Nevada economy. This part of the water plan analyzes past and current water use trends combines water use patterns in Nevada with the population and economic factors to predict future water needs. The economic section provides specific forecasts of populations, employment and irrigated acres upon which much of the water use withdrawal forecasts are based. Part 2 is divided into a number of sections as listed below.
Section 1 - Historic and Current Water Use: , Provides a baseline assessment of water use patterns in Nevada upon which the water withdrawal forecasts of Section 3 are based.
Section 2 - Socioeconomic Assessment and Forecasts: , Presents a similar baseline economic assessment from which forecasts of population, employment and irrigated acreage are determined. This section also includes an economic assessment of employment, the Nevada gaming industry, mining and agriculture.
Section 3 - Water Withdrawal Forecasts: , Presents forecasts of water withdrawals based on source and use (total, domestic, commercial and industrial, thermoelectric, public use and losses, mining, and agriculture). A total of fourteen separate categories of water use are forecast in the Nevada State Water Plan. This section contains the forecasts on a statewide basis, while the county forecasts are presented in Appendix 5 of the Appendices.
Section 4 - Meeting Our Future Water Supply Needs: , Presents a broad assessment and summary of the water withdrawal forecast analysis and looks at a number of ways in which future water needs can be met with existing supplies and resources.
Section 5 - Technical Supplement - Water Use Coefficient and Related Forecast Factor Development and Application: , A more technical section dealing with the derivation of the water use coefficients and related forecast factors and their use in the water withdrawal forecasting process. Flow charts are incorporated to help the reader better understand the process.
Section 6 - Glossary of Terminology: , Contains definitions of many of the terms specifically applicable to the material contained in Part 2.