Build Decision-Support Tools
What is The Freshwater Trust doing here?
Working with Central and Eastern Oregon regional partners, The Freshwater Trust (TFT) is using its BasinScout® toolkit to identify and prioritize agricultural irrigation system improvements.
The software tool uses an integrated modeling system to conduct cost-benefit analyses of each potential irrigation system upgrade. Using advanced data, the system can model the environmental outcomes of using different irrigation systems.
Resource conservation managers can review the costs and benefits of the different improvement project options, share that information with local stakeholders, and gain consensus on project priorities to achieve the most effective outcomes for the river and the community.
What does our work in action look like?
Our analytics ranked all 4,000 agricultural fields along the Crooked River, a subbasin of the Deschutes. Fields were ranked based on where irrigation upgrades would be most cost-effective and beneficial. Through this process, we concluded that most pollution runoff comes from a few fields, which can be prioritized for further action.
Why is this important?
After decades of successful conservation projects and data analysis, TFT has learned that fixing a problem effectively requires prioritizing the projects that deliver the most desired outcomes. Figuring out which projects to prioritize requires leveraging decision-support tools like BasinScout® toolkit.
It is important to prioritize projects for other reasons, especially project funding.
Today, most conservation funding is awarded based on project criteria, not on delivering results. That’s not effective. TFT can deliver desired results at the lowest possible cost because we prioritize our projects to use our funding effectively. We can only do that with the aid of our decision-support tools.
How can you support these efforts?
One key way to support our efforts is through donations. TFT ensures that every dollar you give delivers measurable results that will make a difference in a timeline that matters. You can make a one-time gift or become a regular monthly donor today.
You can also support us by staying connected through our regular newsletter and emails. Sign up today to get the latest TFT news.
Following our social media accounts and sharing our posts with friends, family, and colleagues can also help support freshwater conservation and get more people involved.
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Want to take a deeper dive?
Learn more about the Deschutes River basin and other related stories in the following links.
