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4.3 FORECAST OF FUTURE AGRICULTURAL WATER DEMAND <br />Agriculture, as treated in this study, consists of irrigated agriculture <br />and livestock production. Separate forecasts were made for these two <br />segments. <br />The forecasts of irrigated agricultural demand were prepared based on <br />tfiree scenarios of projected growth. The baseline condition for irrigated <br />agriculture assumes continued cultivation of currently irrigated lands with <br />associated historical cropping patterns and water shortages, which is tfie <br />present situation with no change. The moderate growth scenario assumes <br />providing a full irrigation waier supply to all currently irrigated lands. <br />The high growth scenario assumes providing a full water supply to all <br />currently irrigated lands as well as to all other arable lands that are <br />presently not irrigated. This entails bringing 30,235 acres of new land under <br />irrigation. The probability of market changes occurring which would make this <br />level of development economical is low, but it illustrates the potential <br />maximum growth condition in the agricultural sector and the associated water <br />demand. <br />The forecast of livestock water demand was based on consumptive use <br />figures for the particular animals raised in the area and livestock population <br />projections. The livestock Qopulation projection was based on maintaining the <br />historic ratio of population per irrigated acre in the study area. <br />4.4 SUMMARY OF WATER DEMAND FORECASTS <br />Table 4.1 summarizes projected future water demands for the study area in <br />the year 2035. <br />4-2 <br />