The Oregon Water Supply and Conservation Initiative (OWSCI) represents a significant data-gathering effort that will help the State begin to develop a long-term water supply strategy. OWSCI has five components that: (1) assess water demands statewide, (2) identify potential conservation opportunities, (3) inventory potential water storage sites, (4) provide grant funding to communities engaged in long-term water supply planning, and (5) conduct basin-yield analysis. OWSCI is a project of the Oregon Water Resources Department. For more details, visit: www.wrd.state.or.us/OWRD/LAW/owsci.shtml.

This survey focuses on the first component and agricultural water use in particular. It is designed to gather information that will help the State develop web-based tools for county planners and other water supply planners in the community. One tool will be for demand forecasting. It will estimate water demands through 2025 and 2050 at the county or basin level. Users will be able to construct different demand scenarios by modifying assumptions to the model input such as population growth rate, irrigated acreage, and level of conservation.

As a water provider or user, you know your water demands and water conservation opportunities better than anyone. We would appreciate your assistance with this important data collection effort by completing this survey. Your participation will help provide the building blocks we need to begin to identify our future water demands, our potential future water supplies, and the efforts that will be required to meet those future needs. Please answer the questions as completely as possible, to the best of your ability. We appreciate your help with this important effort.