Laserfiche WebLink
<br />001351 <br /> <br />First. I turn to Chips Barry, current Director of the <br /> <br />Colorado Department of Natural Resources and an ex officio <br /> <br />Board member. He assesses the issue by first asking about <br /> <br />definitions: <br /> <br />The topic of the day is: Should <br />Colorado Have a State Water Plan or a State <br />Water Policy? Bef.ore I can give you my <br />answer, I need to ask a few questions of my <br />own. My first question iFi about <br />definitionfi. There's a lot of talk about a <br />water. plan and water policy, and people talk <br />as if there I s agreement abollt what thoFie <br />wordFi mean. I don't think that much <br />agreement really exists, and that there's a <br />lot of fuzzy thinking on the subject. <br /> <br />There are a lot of possible meanings <br />for those two terms; let me explor.e a couple <br />of them with you. The first meaning of a <br />state water plan, at least for some people, <br />is an inventory of supplies and projected <br />demands. The purpose of the plan is to <br />match up the two. In other words, you <br />allocate the remaining water in the State of <br />Colorado. <br /> <br />A second meaning of a state water plan <br />is a proposal for development. Again, 11m <br />not quite sure what development of water <br />means. but most notably it would mean <br />construction of dams. proposals to withdraw <br />groundwater., etc. <br /> <br />A thi.rd meani.ng of a fitate wat.er plan <br />is simply the specific planFi to use all of <br />our compact shares. in whatever river we're <br />talking abollt.. <br /> <br />A fourth meaning of the state water <br />plan is that it's a means to stop the <br />"abuses or excesses" of our current system, <br />whatever that may mean to whoever is talking <br />about it. <br /> <br />Finally, the fifth meaning of a state <br />water plan is to answer the guy who has no <br /> <br />-5- <br />