Ecology Home > OCR Home > Project Funding > Funding Map > Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast

Draft Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast

The Project

Every five years, the Office of Columbia River (OCR) publishes a water supply and demand forecast (Forecast). The 2011 Forecast is the most comprehensive study of future demand ever produced in the state of Washington. It employs state-of-the-art technology and scientific research to identify where additional water supply is needed, now and in the future. The results will guide OCR in developing a water management plan and in making strategic capital investments in water infrastructure to meet eastern Washington’s environmental and economic needs.

The Forecast is composed of  four components:

• "The Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast," a detailed summary of the results, including projections for individual watersheds (WRIAs, "water resource inventory areas")
• A technical report which will include the data used to create the forecast.
• "The Columbia River Instream Atlas,"  a detailed stream-reach-based study of fish utilization, habitat and flow conditions in eight fish-critical watersheds.
• A responsiveness summary detailing responses to comments received during the public comment period for the Draft Forecast.

More Information

• Draft Columbia River Basin Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast (Comment period ended October 31, 2011)
• Columbia River Instream Atlas (Comment period ended October 31, 2011)
• Focus Sheet: "Forecasting Water Demand in the Columbia River Basin."
• Blog: "New Tool Helps Ecology Help Fish" (Instream Atlas).

Forecast Workshop Webinars

Workshops addressing the Forecast's results and methodology were held Sept 7-9, 2011 in Richland, Wenatchee, and Spokane. Videos from those workshops were compiled into the webinars below.

Video Webinars
Overview of Columbia River Basin Water Supply & Demand Forecast Project 2011 Click to Enlarge	Fish Study Click to Enlarge
Economic Modeling Link to OCR Projects "Starwars" map mentioned in the video. Click to Enlarge	Biophysical Modeling and Agricultural Demand Forecast Click to Enlarge
Municipal Demand Forecast Click to Enlarge	Hydropower Demand Forecast Click to Enlarge
WRIA (Watersheds) Report Overview Click to Enlarge

Previous Report

2006 Columbia River Water Supply Inventory and Long-Term Water Supply and Demand Forecast

Governing statute

RCW 90.90.040