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8 / OFFSTREAM USE OFFSTREAM USE Total fresh and saline withdrawals during 1990 were an estimated 408,000 million gallons per day (MgaVd) for aU offsrream water-use categories (public supply, domestic, commercial, irrigation, livestock, industrial, mining, thermoelectric power), or 2 percent more than the withdrawals estimated for 1985. Average per-capita use was 1,620 gaUons per day (gal/d) of freshwater and saline water and 1,340 gal/d of freshwater. Total surface-water withdrawals were an estimated 327,000 Mgal/d during 1990, or 1 percent more than during 1985. About 68,200 MgaVd of surface wa1er withdrawn (21 percent) was saline water. Total ground-water withdrawals were an estimated 80,600 Mgal/d, or 9 percent more than during 1985. About 99 percent of groundwater withdrawn was freshwater. The use of reclaimed was1ewater averaged about 750 MgaVd, or 30 percent more than during 1985. A comparison by water, resources region (figure 1; table 1) indicates that the coastal regions (New England, Mid Atlantic, South Atlantic-Gulf, Pacific Northwest, Califor- nia) accounted for nearly one-half of the total water wi1hdrawn in the United States. About 54 percent of the Nation's total withdrawals were in the East (water-resources regions east of and including the Mississippi regions). These regions account for about one-third of the Nation's land area. A similar comparison of total withdrawals by State (figure 2; table 2) indicates that California accoun1ed for the largest withdrawals, 46,800 Mgal/d, more than the total withdrawn in Texas and Idaho, the next largest users. Some 20 States and the District of Columbia had less water withdrawn for offsrream uses during 1990 than during 1985. hrigation is the largest category of freshwa1er use and thermoelectric power is the largest category of freshwater and saline water use. The California and Missouri Basin wa1er-resources regions accounted for 21 percenJ of total freshwater withdrawals during 1990. In these water-resources regions, 73 percen1 of the withdrawals were for irriga1ion (table 3). The State of California accounted for the most freshwater withdrawn for public supply, domestic, and irrigation, and the most saline water withdrawn for thermo- electric power (table 4). Largest surface-wa1er withdrawals occurred in the Mid Atlantic region which is fifteenth out of twenty-one regions in land area. Of the 45,000 Mgal/d withdrawn in the Mid Atlantic region, 56 percent was saline water used for thermoelec- tric power plan1s (table 5). The State of California led the Nation in both freshwater and saline surface-water withdrawals (table 6). Five water-resources regions, the Lower Mississippi, Missouri Basin, Arkansas-White-Red, Pacific Northwest, and California, accounted for 75 percent of the nation's irrigation ground-water withdrawals (table 7). The State of California accounted for 18 percent of total ground-water withdrawals. Irrigation was the predominant use of ground water in 22 states, most located in the Wes1 (table 8). Freshwater consumptive use in the East was about 12 percent of the freshwa1er withdrawn in the East and accounted for 21 percent of Nation's freshwater consumptive use (figure 3). By comparison. freshwater consumptive use in the West was about 44 percent of freshwater withdrawals. The higher consumptive use in the West is attributed to the fact that 90 percent of the total water withdrawn for irrigation occurred in the West and irrigation accounts for 1he larges1 part of consump1ive Use. California accounted for the largest consumptive use (figure 4). The distribution of per-capita freshwater withdrawals by State is shown in figure 5 and table 2. High per-capita values are characteristic of thinly popolated states having large acreages of irrigated land such as Idaho, Mon1ana, and Wyoming. In cOnJrast, figure 6 shows the intensity of freshwater withdrawals by State in million gallons per day per square mile. The smaUer states in the northeast show the mOS1 intense withdrawals by area. ~ "