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South Platte Roundtable, HB1177 Process, June 13, 2006 <br />What are our Values Pertinent to the SWSI Objectives? <br />Notes from Breakout Groups Compiled by MaryLou Smith, Aqua Engineering, Inc. <br /> <br />Provide for Operational Flexibility (continued) <br /> <br />Ways to Do It <br />No consensus on methodology <br />Fallowing <br />Conserve/capture water during high stream flow <br />Multi - use. Water high in system <br />Control the Resource! <br /> <br />Other Observations <br />Has implications for the M&I, Agricultural, and Environmental Objectives <br />Best funded and b iggest entity can “win” a water war <br /> <br />Comply with All applicable Laws, Regulations, and <br />Water Rights <br /> <br />Regarding Prior Appropriation System and the Compacts <br />Firm believers in prior appropriation law <br />A given - priority system must be kept and followed <br />Priority system offers protection <br />It’s flexible and allows cooperative management <br />It’s subject to legislative changes so it’s flexible (not static) <br />It’s legally complicated and expensive <br />Provides dependability and predictability <br />Can it be administered? <br />Lower rive r basin doesn’t receive same treatment under priority system <br />To get rid of prior appropriation would cause great chaos <br />Priority system vs. conservation <br />Use it or lose it is failing in most contexts <br />Leave what’s ok ok w/compact <br />Prior Appropriation creates double standard vis a vis Nebraska Compact <br /> <br /> <br />Regarding Changing the Law(s) <br />Constitutional amendment process can not threaten state’s water laws <br />Can we improve the system/laws? <br />(there are often issues within issues that don’t always come to surface) <br />Prior Appropriation gives us the baseline requirement but <br />important to revisit and make necessary policy changes <br />We need to make temporary changes of use easier to facilitate and implement <br />We need to streamline water court process <br />Not all of us value all the ex isting laws e.g. - Endangered Species Act <br />