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<br />f '[ Project Summary <br /> <br />Water conservation is a term that nearly every resident of Colorado understands in some manner. <br />However, at the water utility or district level, where concept, art and science need to become pipe <br />and policy, water conservation can be a difficult to plan and implement. Setting goals, integrating <br />supply and demand side analyses and programs, and inclusion of the public in the overall process <br />are difficult to do, especially without the right tools in the tool box. <br /> <br />Great Western Institute (GWI), working with other non-profit and public organizations statewide, <br />looks to partner with the Colorado Water Conservation Board ("Board") and the Office of Water <br />Conservation and Drought Planning ("Office") to help the State take the logical next step in the <br />multi-year process of moving toward more meaningful water conservation statewide, as articulated <br />by the CWCB Board as a goal for the Office in July 2003. <br /> <br />Our proposal seeks funding to plan, organize, implement, and gather exit survey data from five <br />technical workshops and a like number of educational forums in selected river basin of the state. <br />Through this educational and outreach effort, coordinated closely with the Board and Office, we <br />hope to clarify the definition and role of conservation in water planning, provide basic technical <br />resources to water managers, and provide the Board and Office with essential data on the technical <br />needs of water utilities, municipalities, special districts, and other water providers for future <br />conservation planning and implementation efforts. Noteworthy is that this project <br />represents what may be the first phase of a statewide project, if the five proposed <br />workshops and forums prove successful. <br /> <br />Project Background and Approach <br /> <br />The State, through the Office, the CWCB, and the Department of Natural Resources began the <br />process of finding out the needs of water utilities, municipalities, special districts, and other water <br />providers a few years ago. In 2000 and 2001, the CWCB conducted multiple meetings in each <br />river basin to discuss the needs of local water users and the role of the State in addressing those <br />needs. This effort was qualitative in nature, allowing the dialogue between the CWCB and its <br />constituency to re-develop after the change of administration. <br /> <br />The Office followed this effort with the quantitative Drought & Water Supply Assessment that <br />identified the level of water supply, water conservation and drought planning by water users and <br />water purveyors within each major basin. More quantitative analysis and issues discussions <br />followed with the planning and implementation of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) <br />and, to some extent, the HB 05-1177 Basin Roundtables. Beyond the important data collection <br />and analysis tasks conducted during SWSI that brought light to the overall water supply and demand <br />needs of the State by river basin, SWSI also initiated key discussions regarding water supply <br />planning and the use of water conservation as a component of future water supply and demand <br />management. The SWSI dialogue continues with its technical committees on water conservation <br />and efficiency, as well as with its roundtables. <br /> <br />Although the HB 05-1177 Basin Roundtable discussions are just starting up, the role and relative <br />importance of water conservation in future water supply and demand planning in Colorado is a <br />topic that is integral to many, if not all, of the upcoming inter-basin negotiations. <br /> <br />3 <br />