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Denver would like add itional storage on the Moffa t system, and options include e nlarging <br />Gross Res ervoir , build ing Leiden res ervoir, and other measures, including raising the <br />height of some reservoirs and cooperation with adjacent municipalities. Denver Water’s <br />Board will determine which course of action will be pursued . Currently, the utility has <br />the largest water r ecycling plant in the state. Chips voiced the opinion that the amount of <br />savings to be gained by conservation could be limited to 10 - 12 percent of indoor demand, <br />with greater potential in outdoor demand if new technologies or behavioral changes are <br />succes sful. <br /> <br />Chips discussed the unknown impacts of climate change on the firm annual yield of <br />Denver Water’s system . He raised the SWSI study finding that the state has an overall <br />gap of 630,000 a cre - f oot projected in 2035, with 410,000 a cre - f eet of that gap in the <br />metro area. Some will be covered by projects, but there will still be a shortfall of 90,000 <br />acre - feet (primarily in municipalities adjacent to Denver), without considering any <br />impacts of climate change. Denver wants to work with its neighbors and the rest of the <br />state to find ways to meet gap in the Metro area, and will have to go outside the Metro <br />area to find the water. <br /> <br />After the presentations, the IBCC posed questions to members of the Metro roundtable, as <br />recorded below. <br /> <br />T . Wright Dickinson: Is conservation a one time shot? Chips Berry: In dro ught <br />conditions, yes. Those measures instituted during a water shortage are a direct dro ught <br />response. In the long term, these are permanent measure s to reduce water demand either <br />through hardware and behavior. This is not a one time measure – we have to keep up <br />these behaviors . For instance, b ehavioral change to make people think about lawn <br />watering is a long term effort. It may take different forms over different periods of time. <br /> <br />Rita Crumpton: Co lo rado has done a great job in educating school children about <br />conservation, and they are now buying homes. This may be having an impact on water <br />use. <br /> <br />General Question: What about a s od buy back program , like the one in Las Vegas? <br />Response: Las Vegas ha s a fixed water supply – a s pecific allocation from Colo rado <br />River and no way to do buy - back or dry up agricultural l and. For them, there is n o more <br />supply available. That is why they are doing a sod buy - back program – t o make a fixed <br />amount of water go further. Denver has a water supply that varies, and doesn’t have the <br />problem of taking fixed supply and making it go further. In fact, we need turf in our <br />system so that we can cut back on watering in a dry year. <br /> <br />Members of the group asked for an updat e on the status of the Global Negotiations between the <br />Metro area and the West Slope. Chips Berry, Eric Kuhn, and Bill Trampe reported that Aurora, <br />Denver , South Metro and West Slope parties have engaged the services of mediator John <br />Bickerman. The rest of the comments are reported below. <br /> <br /> 15 <br />