Options Charts for Closing the Gap Between Supply and Demand in 2060
Options charts provide a visual aid for understanding how options can be combined to meet the projected gap between supply and demand. In each option chart, incremental strategies for the implementation of alternatives for conservation, growth management, the purchase of agricultural water rights either below or above Otowi Gage, and allowing more domestic wells are represented by a square in the chart. The action indicated in any particular square represents a 10 percent reduction of the projected gap by the year 2060 and theses actions are cumulative from left to right. Thus, in the Northern Sub-region figure the action to purchase 2,114 acre-feet of water rights is represented by 4 squares (which would retire 682 acres of irrigated land) below the Otowi Gage represents a 50 percent reduction in the overall supply/demand gap.
The charts are useful for developing potential scenarios for closing the supply/demand gap, with some limitations. The options shown in the charts for each subregion represents a simplified version of the actual options available to the region. For example, complexities such as the interconnection between conservation and return flow credits are oversimplified in this chart. Additionally, the charts approach the supply/demand gap at a regional level and do not attempt to address individual water rights ownership or the ability to implement projects. Nevertheless, the gap can conceptually be closed by implementing options whose squares total 100 percent.