Cultural water demand data including population, number of wells and the average well pumpage and surface water diversions by the municipal, industrial and agricultural sectors are shown in Table 7.7-5.  Figure 7.7-9 shows the location of demand centers.  There is no recorded effluent generation in this basin.  A description of cultural water demand data sources and methods is found in Volume 1, Appendix A.  More detailed information on cultural water demands is found in Section 7.0.7.

Cultural Water Demands

• Refer to Table 7.7-5 and Figure 7.7-9.
• Population in this basin declined from 1,024 in 1980 to 581 in 1990 but is slowly increasing.  The 2000 basin population was 905. 
• There are no reported surface water diversions in this basin.
• Most cultural water use is for irrigation in the northern half of the basin.
• Groundwater use for agriculture decreased from 1991 to 2005 with 28,800 AFA on average between 2001 and 2005.
• Municipal groundwater demand is relatively small and increased from less than 300 AFA in 1991-1995 to 400 AFA in 2001-2005.
• There was no reported industrial groundwater demand from 1991 to 2005.  A dairy/bio-refinery is scheduled to begin operation in mid 2009 and another dairy began operating in December 2006. 
• As of 2005 there were 522 registered wells with a pumping capacity of less than or equal to 35 gpm and 138 wells with a pumping capacity of more than 35 gpm.

Table 7.7-5 Cultural Water Demand in the Ranegras Plain Basin

Figure 7.7-9 Ranegras Plain Basin Cultural Water Demand

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