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<br />Section 1 <br />Introduction <br /> <br />-- <br /> <br />1.2 The Interbasin Compact <br />Process <br /> <br />In June 2005, Colorado Governor Bill Owens signed into <br />law the Colorado Water for the 21 st Century Act (the Act) <br />creating the Interbasin Compact Process. The Act affirms <br />Colorado's existing prior-appropriation doctrine for water <br />rights, while acknowledging that water is a limited <br />resource and there is a need for statewide cooperation. <br />The Act creates Basin Roundtables for each of <br />Colorado's eight major river basins plus a distinct <br />roundtable for the Denver metropolitan area. The Basin <br />Roundtables are comprised of a diverse cross-section of <br />citizens, representing a variety of interests such as water <br />conservation and conservancy districts, recreational and <br />environmental interests, local governments, and water <br />providers. <br /> <br />In order to facilitate and encourage collaboration among <br />Colorado's river basins, the Act also created the <br />Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC). The IBCC is <br />comprised of gubernatorial appointments, legislative <br />appointments, and two representatives from each Basin <br />Roundtable. The IBCC is responsible for guiding <br />discussions and voluntary negotiations between basins. <br /> <br />Each Basin Roundtable is charged with developing a <br />basinwide water needs assessment. This is to consist of: <br /> <br />Using data and information from the Statewide <br />Water Supply Initiative and other appropriate <br />sources... develop a basinwide consumptive and <br />nonconsumptive water supply needs assessment, <br />conduct an analysis of available unappropriated <br />waters within the basin, and propose projects or <br />methods, both structural and nonstructural, for <br />meeting those needs. " <br /> <br />This Interim Water Supply and Needs Report for the <br />South Platte Basin and Denver/South Metro Counties is <br />a starting point for the Needs Assessments for the South <br />Platte Basin and the Metro Roundtable. The report is <br />taken largely from information generated during Phase 1 <br />of the SWSI. Phase 2 of SWSI, currently underway, aims <br />to further analyze, evaluate, and develop consensus in <br />four key areas: <br /> <br />. Water Conservation and Efficiency <br /> <br />. Alternative Agricultural Transfers to Permanent Dry- <br />up <br /> <br />CONI <br /> <br />1-4 <br /> <br />. Prioritize and Quantify Recreational and <br />Environmental Needs <br /> <br />. Addressing the 20 Percent M&I Gap, Agricultural <br />Shortages, and Environmental and Recreational <br />Needs Including Development of Alternatives <br /> <br />1.3 The Statewide Water Supply <br />Initiative <br /> <br />In 2003, the Colorado legislature recognized the critical <br />need to understand and better prepare for our long-term <br />water needs, and authorized the Colorado Water <br />Conservation Board (CWCB) to implement SWSI, a <br />comprehensive study of how Colorado will meet its future <br />water needs. <br /> <br />SWSI also conducted public information and Basin <br />Roundtable activities that were designed to provide a <br />mechanism and forum for the CWCB Board to solicit and <br />exchange information, and was essential to the success <br />of the project. The SWSI Basin Roundtables, with the <br />support of the CWCB Board, defined the overall water <br />management objectives, established performance <br />measures to meet these objectives, and identified <br />solutions for meeting future water needs. <br /> <br />The overall objective of SWSI is to help Colorado <br />maintain an adequate water supply for its citizens and <br />the environment. SWSI is not intended to take the place <br />of local water planning initiatives. Rather, it is a "forum" to <br />develop a common understanding of existing water <br />supplies and future water supply needs and demands <br />throughout Colorado, and possible means of meeting <br />those needs. CWCB, through SWSI and future efforts, will <br />help support and/or identify solutions to these water supply <br />needs. To help attain this goal, SWSI summarized by river <br />basin, at a reconnaissance level, existing water supplies <br />and demands and projected demands up to 30 years into <br />the future, and a range of potential options to meet existing <br />and future demands. SWSI also studied agricultural uses <br />and non-consumptives uses such as environmental flows <br />throughout the state. This information will allow water <br />providers, state policy makers, and the General Assembly <br />to make informed decisions regarding the management <br />and use of Colorado's surface and groundwater resources. <br /> <br />In many areas, local planning entities have completed <br />studies, identified projects, and are capable of <br />implementing those projects. SWSI documented and <br />summarized these identified projects or processes that <br /> <br />S:\1177\BASIN REPORTSlSOUTH PLATTE\S1_S0UTH PLATTE. DOC <br />