The total amount of water taken up by vegetation for transpiration or building of plant tissue, plus the unavoidable evaporation of soil moisture, snow, and intercepted precipitation (interception) associated with the vegetal growth. Consumptive use is primarily applied to a single type of vegetation in a given area and does not include evaporation from water surfaces in or adjacent to the area; thus, it is not as general in scope as evapotranspiration or duty of water.