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Section 1 Report from the Director of Compact Negotiations fl!:UC"!' ' One of the key strengths and key challenges of the Interbasin Compact process is the expanded range of citizens actively involved in water discussions, In qrder to help Basin Roundtable members understand the basics of water in Colorado, the Colorado Foundation for Water Education provided Director's Notebooks to each person serving on a Basin Roundtable or the IBCC. These notebooks contain the Foundation's Citizen Guides series, other materials produced by the Foundation, a recommended reading list, and the Executive Summaries of recent statewide water studies. 1.3 Basin Roundtable's Water Needs Assessments and Major Issues in Each Basin 1.3.1 Basinwide Water Needs Assessments The Act assigned a major task to the Basin Roundtables: the development of a basin-wide water needs assessment (C.R.S 37-7S-104(2)(c). In developing their needs assessments, the General Assembly asked 'the Basin Roundtables to use SWSI and other approp~iate sources, and to work in cooperation with local governments, area water providers, and other stakeholders, This basin-wide water needs assessment is to consist of four parts: . Analysis of consumptive water needs (Municip~l, Industrial and Agricultural) . Analysis of non-consumptive water needs . Analysis of available water supplies and unappropriated waters . Proposed projects or methods to meet identified needs Basin Roundtables are relying on SWSI as the sta~ing point and core of their needs assessment. To help ,begin the needs assessment process, CWCB and those involved in SWSI provided briefings and presentations to help Basin Roundtable members understand SWSI. A Water Supply and Needs Report based on SWSI has been produced for each Basin Roundtable, summ~rizing and compiling all of the information in SWSI releva~t to that basin. I Basin Roundtables now have the opportunity to up~ate, refine, and add to SWSI using other sources of CONI 1-6 ,/ information and technical assistance provided to the Basin Roundtables with appropriations from HB 06-1400, The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is working with a team of experts to provide technical assistance to the Basin Roundtables. As Basin Roundtables identify areas where they need more technical information, this team will respond, helping to ensure Basin Roundtables are making rational decisions based upon the best available information, In order to assist the Basin Roundtables with their basin- wide water needs assessments, the IBCC has established a needs assessment working group. The purpose of this working group is to encourage development of a common technical platform and provide coordination and resources for the Basin Roundtables. 1.3.2 Major Water Issues in Each Basin Although the Basin Roundtables are just beginning the substantive work of their basin-wide water needs assessments, they are identifying and discussing the major water issues in their basin. The following description does not represent a comprehensive or consensus outline of major issues, but is a sample of the water challenges in each basin, as determined in SWSI or by the Basin Roundtables themselves, Section 2 contains a more detailed description for each basin. Arkansas . Arkansas River Compact requirements and existing uses and water rights result in little to no water availability for new uses, . Growth in the headwaters region will present challenges in obtaining augmentation water for new demands. . Concerns over agricultural transfers and its impact on rural economies are significant in the lower portion of the basin downstream of Pueblo Reservoir. . The urban landscape is very important to the economy and an important component to quality of life. Colorado . Inadequate analysis of consumptive and non- consumptive needs, . SWSI fails to address water consumption required for energy development. S;\IBC SUPPORTIREPORT TO LEGISLATURElSECTlON 1 FINALDDC