Exec Summary_11-15-04

• Title: Executive Summary
• Date: 11/15/2004
• Author: CWCB
• SWSI - Doc Type: Executive Summary

Executive Summary
our future to be as exciting and full of promise as our
past. We must, therefore, act today to plan for our water
future. To meet the needs of all of Colorado's future -
whether it is ensuring that everyone living in the Denver
metro area has sufficient water, or ensuring that a farmer
in the Grand Valley has enough water for crops, or
providing for the needs of fish and wildlife - we should
heed the lessons and findings of SWSI and use them to
build a better future for all. That is the value that SWSI
brings to Colorado.
CWCB, as the agency leading SWSI, plays a critical role
in establishing water policy in Colorado. The CWCB
Board formulates policy with respect to water
development programs. The Board assists in the
administration of interstate compacts on the Arkansas
and Colorado Rivers; administers flood plain programs,
water project construction funds, and the Office of Water
Conservation and Drought Planning; and participates in
endangered species programs. It also acquires and
manages all instream flow rights for the state.
CWCB is part of Colorado's Department of Natural
Resources (DNR), which administers programs related to
the state's water, forests, parks, wildlife, and minerals.
CWCB is also responsible for the development and
implementation of state resource policies.
CWCB Board Members are appointed by the governor.
The CWCB members include representatives from each
river basin as well as key state policy makers (i.e.,
Directors of DNR, CWCB, Agriculture, Colorado Division
of Wildlife (CDOW), State Engineer's Office (SEO), and
the Attorney General). During SWSI, the CWCB Board
dedicated significant time at each of its regularly
~~
scheduled meetings to direct, facilitate, and support the
implementation of SWSI.
The CWCB's overarching goal for SWSI is to help water
providers and state policy makers ensure an adequate
water supply for Colorado's citizens and the
environment. Resolving Colorado's water supply and
water needs is a complex process and will take a
sustained and long-term effort. During the execution of
SWSI it was apparent that developing trust and open
communication would take time. CWCB remains
committed to bringing together affected interest groups
and facilitating water management solutions with an
emphasis on local involvement.
Unanimous agreement on issues, data, and solutions is
not always possible. In this report, opinions and ideas
provided by the public and Basin Roundtable members
have been considered and incorporated. When
consensus was achieved, the information is presented as
such, but consensus was not always possible.
CWCB is the state's water policy making entity, and in
that role it is expected to advance policy and
recommendations recognizing that these policies and
recommendations do not always enjoy unanimity. In the
Recommendations section of this document, the CWCB
has deliberated on the information gathered and has put
forth its view of the immediate path forward. These
recommendations are reflective of the SWSI process, but
also acknowledge that these should not be construed to
be the recommendations of the Basin Roundtables
themselves.
SWSI represents a major step toward addressing our
future water supply and water needs. SWSI has
identified water supply issues and needs in three
timeframes:
Initial Finding~ - are presented in this Executive
Summary, and provide a comprehensive view of
Colorado's water supply needs and an outline of
how they will be addressed.
2. Pdear-T~rm ~cti~r~ Ite~r~ - are presented in the
Recommendations section and represent activities
that appear to have a reasonable level of support, a
more clear path forward, and that can be addressed
by CWCB in the next 1 to 2 years as part of its
strategic plan.
~~
Sfvtewide Woter Supoly Initiofive
ES-4 S:\REPORT\WORD PROCESSING\REPORT\EXEC SUMMARY 11-10-04.DOC
Role of the CWCB