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3.0 In formation Needs <br />3.1 Data Availability <br />This section identifies the nature and extent of the information needed to enable the state to make <br />informed decisions about the management, conservation and preservation of its water resources. <br />It builds upon the review of the data identified in Section 2.0, Data Inventory. Section 4.0, Plan <br />and Schedule, describes how these information needs may be addressed in a prioritized fashion. <br />One approach commonly used in water resource management to aid in data identification needs <br />is to prepare a water budget to describe the various inflow, outflow, and storage terms of a river <br />basin. The water budget can then be used to demonstrate the magnitude of the various <br />components to assist in prioritization of a data collection program. Further, the water budget <br />can verify information used in planning models, evaluate long term trends and estimate <br />components that are inherently difficult to measure, such as consumptive use and interactions <br />of stream flows with ground water. Table 1.1 is an example of the results of a water budget <br />analysis for each of the basins shown. <br />Water budgets can be prepared for different sized hydrologic units at different levels of detail. <br />Figure 3.1 presents a schematic of the major terms associated with a water budget appropriate <br />for the state. The schematic includes a global budget of an entire river basin and sub - balances <br />for the stream system, ground water system and the land (soil) system. Table 3.1 provides a <br />description of each term. The items labeled inflows, outflows and storage changes represent <br />the components required to perform a global water budget for a basin or sub -area. The items <br />labeled Other %y Internal Balance Terms include key components required to perform sub - <br />balances within a basin or sub -area. (Current and complete water budgets for each Water <br />Division and the state as a whole were not available for use in this report). <br />Table 3.2 is a table ranking data availability in each Division. Data was ranked as follows: <br />• Good indicating the data is generally available <br />• Fair indicating the data is available in limited amount or with a limited effort, or <br />requires a program to remain current <br />• Poor indicating the data is generally unavailable or available only with significant <br />effort <br />• N/A indicates the data is generally not applicable for that Division <br />13 <br />