The purpose of this immersive online collaborative model is to give collaborators the opportunity to immerse in and personify water user roles for a Lake Mead model based on the principle of division of reservoir inflow. The model works on the principles of A) Divide reservoir inflow, B) Subtract evaporation, and C) Users consume and conserve within their available water, others choices, and real-time discussion of choices. There are six users in the model - Reclamation, California, Arizona, Nevada, Mexico, and Tribal Nations of the Lower Colorado River Basin. We see uses of the tool for two purposes:

1) As researchers we want to learn: Why basin partners choose assumptions and how extreme; Why and how basin partners manage their risk of uncertain future water supply; Which new insights they take from a model session.
2) Provoke thought and discussion to: i) Stabilize and recover reservoir storage under conditions of low storage and low inflow, and ii) Give users more autonomy to manage their conflicting vulnerabilities to water shortages.

The README file below provides more background on the model, the 3 key ideas, and instructions to download the model file, move into Google Drive, invite colleagues/co-workers/friends/family, and guide an immersive model session.

Contents of this resource:
1) ImmersiveModelLakeMeadDivideInflow-LetsStart.pdf - Visualization of the 3 key ideas for the model and directions to start a model session.
2) ImmersiveModelLakeMeadDivideInflow-LetsStart.pptx - Powerpoint version of the LetsStart pdf file.
3) LakeMeadWaterBankDivideInflow.xlsx - Model file in Excel. Download, move into Google Drive, invite people to join, and follow the remaining instructions on the ReadMe-Directions worksheet.
4) LakeMeadWaterConservationProgramAnalysis.docx - Draft manuscript for the immersive model in Word format. This manuscript also shares 10 successes of the current Lake Mead water conservation (Intentionally Created Surplus) program.
5) README.md - Markdown file with more information about the model including the 3 key ideas, requirements to use, directions to guide a model session, and further reading.

Folders
6) IRB - documents required to share with potential collaborators that are required by Utah State University's Institutional Review Board (IRB).
7) ModelGuide - Model guide in MS Word (.docx) and Markdown (.md). The file includes help, background, suggestions for each row in the model, and supporting figures and tables. Links in Column N on the "Master" worksheet of the model file lead directly to sections in the Markdown file.