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" unappropriated water is available. The needs assessment is intended to include not only consumptive uses, but the water or streamflows necessary for environmental, water quality and recreation purposes as well. The Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) began before the start of the HB-1177 process. SWSI is sponsored and managed by the Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB). SWSI looked at future water demands and available supplies throughout the State of Colorado. To no one's surprise, SWSI concludes that by 2030 there are going to be significant shortages or "gaps" in future supplies throughout most of Colorado, but especially along the Front Range. The identified shortfall in the Arkansas River Basin is 17,100 acre feet (af). In the South Platte River Basin it is 90,600 af. In contrast, the shortages in the San Juan, mainstem Colorado, Gunnison and Rio Grande Basins are 4,900 af, 3,000 af, 2,400 af and 100 af respectively. To conduct their needs assessments, individual roundtables will start with the information provided in the SWSI report. However, a number of basins have already concluded that the SWSI report, while a good starting point, is either incomplete or already out of date. For example, the Colorado and Yampa/White Roundtables have approved an energy development water needs assessment. The SWSI process began before much of the current energy boom started. SWSI has little information concerning the water needs of a future oil shale industry, its related municipal and power impacts or other potential energy projects that may require water such as coal gasification. SWSI Assumption Concernin2 Water Availability The River Basin fact sheets for the Colorado, Gunnison, Yampa/White and San Juan/Dolores Basins published by the CWCB in March 2002 includes the following statement: "Depending upon the interpretation of the Compacts, other laws, and the amount of water in the river, Colorado's right to the consumptive use of water under the compacts may range from 3.079 mafto 3.855 mafper year. Colorado currently consumes an average of 2.3 mafper year with facilities in place using up to 2.6 mafper year."1O With a supply of3.079 to 3.855 million acre feet (maf)/year and a demand of only 2.3 to 2.6 maf/year, it appears that Colorado has a lot of water available to develop - 500,000 to 1,250,000 af/year. The higher number is based on an aggressive interpretation of the 1922 Compact, an interpretation that may have a legal basis, but the reality is that the water may physically be available. It is also an interpretation that is very controversial within the other Basin States and within Colorado itself. 9Statewide Water Supply Initiative Executive Summary, November 10, 2004, Figure E5-8. An acre foot of water is 326,000 gallons. It is approximately enough water to serve to two families of four for a year. l<The fact sheets can be obtained from the CWCB at hhtp://cwcb.state.co.us. Page -5-