One area of interest to the DWA is the affects of population growth on local irrigation districts and irrigated agriculture.  The DWA Growth, Urbanization, and Land Use Change report focuses on the fragmentation of farms, the loss of irrigated acreage, and the operational and financial impacts of these changes on districts. It suggests that the demand for surface irrigation water will decrease as a result of existing urbanization trends, and it projects how much water could be re-allocated for different uses in the future.

Follow the links below for more information about growth, urbanization, and land use change in the upper Deschutes Basin