Looking 50 years into the future is tricky business. In order to do this, the PNW-ERC first summarized how the Valley had changed since 1851. They included information on population density and distribution, agricultural practices and crops, and native vegetation. From this understanding of past change, they developed three alternative "visions" or scenarios for the future. These scenarios show the combined effects of policy decisions on urban, rural residential, agricultural, forestry, and natural lands, as well as water use, across the entire basin through the year 2050.
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