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Lower Colorado River Basin Study - -The Lower Colorado River Basin includes most of <br />Arizona and portions of California, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah. In this and region, <br />there is an urgent need for water - resources information due to rapid population growth, <br />fragile ecosystems, and current drought stress. Many Lower Colorado River Basin <br />communities, both large and small, depend on potentially unsustainable ground water for <br />their water supply. An assessment of ground -water and surface -water availability, water <br />use, and the associated trends is critically needed to assist water managers and policy <br />makers in planning for the future to achieve sustainable water supplies. Key information <br />for the Lower Colorado River Basin will include (1) up -to -date reports of surface -water <br />and ground -water availability in the basin, (2) estimates of streamflow characteristics for <br />ungaged streams that are tributary to the Lower Colorado River, (3) analysis of trends in <br />reservoir storage, (4) information on changes in water levels and storage in key basin -fill <br />aquifers, and (5) information about consumptive water use and historic and current <br />acreages irrigated by surface water and ground water. As part of the study, new and <br />emerging technologies will be tested and applied, such as microgravity techniques to <br />measure aquifer storage change and satellite imagery to quantify agricultural water use. <br />Major Program Elements <br />Major elements of the proposed program and their objectives are listed below, followed <br />by descriptions of the individual program elements. <br />Indicators of Water Availability: Develop and report indicators of status and trends in (a) <br />surface -water flows and storage, (b) ground -water storage, and (c) water use. <br />Regional Water Budgets: (a) Provide estimates of key components of regional water <br />budgets, such as recharge, evapotranspiration, and interbasin transfers, and (b) develop <br />regional models of ground -water and surface -water flows and storage. <br />Network Evaluation: Inventory and evaluate the adequacy of existing surface -water and <br />ground -water networks for tracking regional trends in water flows and storage. <br />Aggregated Information Warehouse: Provide a central location for ready access to <br />aggregated information developed by the program. <br />Methods Development: Develop new water availability indicators and improved methods <br />for quantifying water -cycle components. <br />Indicators of Water Availabili <br />The assessment will develop and report up -to -date, nationally consistent indicators that <br />reflect the status and trends in water availability nationwide. Indicators will be developed <br />for surface -water flows and storage, ground -water levels and storage, and water use (table <br />IN <br />