BOARD00055 ‎(2)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: IBCC Director's Report - Interbasin Compact Committee Annual Report to the House of Representatives Com. On Agriculture, Livestock, Natural Resources, and Senate Com. On Agriculture, Energy, Natural
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Appendix H
Overview - Colorado Water for the 21st Century Act

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The most extensive substantive responsibility is to develop a basin-wide water needs assessment. This is to be performed
in cooperation with local governments, area water providers, and other stakeholders. The needs assessment will:

· Look at both consumptive and nonconsumptive needs,

. Analyze the availability of unappropriated waters within the basin, and

. Propose projects or non-structural methods for meeting water supply needs and utilizing unappropriated waters
where appropriate.

Any proposed projects or methods that result from this needs assessment will be forwarded to the Interbasin Compact
Committee for consideration. Any compact coming out of the IBCC will be submitted to all affected roundtables for their
ratification.

The many localized examples of cooperation on water indicate that as better relationships are fostered through these basin
roundtables, practical and innovative solutions to Colorado's water problems can emerge. In addition to goodwill and trust
between the participants, the success of the roundtables will require a strong base of information. The Statewide Water
Supply Initiative (SWSI) has provided a wealth of important information, and the data can be used by the roundtables in
completing their water needs assessment and in considering alternatives to meet any identified needs. SWSI creates a
scientific standard from which the roundtables can accomplish their work, and as SWSI continues to add new information,
the data will be provided to all the roundtables to help ensure that they are making rational decisions based upon the best
available information.

Public Involvement

Equally important to the selecting members of the Interbasin Compact Committee and developing a basin-wide water needs
assessment, the roundtables will serve as a forum for public involvement. The roundtable activities are required by law to
be open, public meetings. In addition, roundtables may develop a process that will involve the public as the needs
assessment is conducted and as alternative proposals for meeting water needs of the basin are considered. The roundtable
process will create and expanded foundation for public involvement.

Interbasin Compact Committee (I Bee} Roundtable Responsibilities

The other structure created by the Colorado Water for the 21 st Century Act is the Interbasin Compact Committee. This is a
27-member committee established to facilitate conversations between basins and to address statewide issues. The IBCC is
build out of the basin roundtables and will bring the issues of each roundtable to a statewide forum.

IBCC Membership

The IBCC will be made up of:
· Two members appointed by each of the nine roundtables;

. Six members appointed by the Governor, who must come from "geographically diverse parts of the state" and
have expertise in environmental, recreational, local governmental, industrial, and agricultural matters;

· One member appointed by the chairperson of the Senate Ag. Committee;

. One member appointed by the chairperson of the House Ag. Committee; and

· The Director of Compact Negotiations, who will chair the IBCC.

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