In 1985, the Iowa Commerce Commission projected the total capacity for power generation would nearly double in the next 25 years. Because so little water is consumed in power generation, only the estimates of consumed water have been included in these projections. The following map shows the amount of total water withdrawn and the power produced in counties with power production in 1990. This 52 bgy difference amounts to a 17 percent increase. The largest increase in use is a projected 17 bgy for irrigation use, which is nearly a 200 percent change.
Some decrease is projected in private domestic and livestock water use.
Decrease in water use for private domestic use and livestock watering is expected to follow the trend of the past 20 years, each decreasing about 25 percent. In other words, fluctuations in water use mirror fluctuations in both human and livestock populations.