New Report, Model Assist in Water Management and Conservation

The Verde River basin in central Arizona, if managed wisely, can meet the water resource needs of cities, farms, and nature, according to a new joint study by the Pacific Institute, Hydrologics, and Stratus Consulting. The authors modeled the effects of different groundwater withdrawal scenarios on river flow, and then used three case studies of water management in the western U.S. to provide stakeholders with future scenarios and policy options for Verde River management. The authors suggest that with cooperation, efficient use, and smart planning, the river basin can not only continue to provide as it has, but can also support future growth.

Expanding beyond the Verde basin to any location, the Pacific Institute also created a model that evaluates the costs of implementing a water conservation program and estimates potential water, energy, and financial savings. The model is designed to provide water utility staff with a set of financial metrics that can assist them in making decisions about which kinds of conservation programs to implement.