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Mapping the Colorado Basin Rou ndtable’s Water Policy Networks 7 Section 3: Success in the Roundtable and HB1177 Process As of the time of the survey, the HB1177 process was still a relatively new undertaking for Colorado. Many different activities had begun over the course of the first 18 months of the roundtable process, including developing a grants process and awarding grants, setting priorities within roundtables, preparing for the needs assessment, educating roundtable members, and dialogue both within and between tables. Based on input from roundtable chairs and the Department of Natural Resources, a set of activities underway in the Colorado Basin Roundtable and the HB1177 process were explored as part of the study. The extent to which respondents felt the roundtables were successful at each activity, as well as meeting their own goals for the process, helps us to understand how the process is currently being viewed. It should be noted that any activities that occurred after May of 2007 were not included in this study and respondents’ responses reflect their perception of the status of the roundtables at the time of the study, from May to August 2007. Additionally, while the activities cover many of the required and desired outcomes from the roundtable, they do not cover the overarching goals of the roundtables, including developing “locally driv en, collaborative solutions to water supply challenges” (37-75-104(1)(a), C.R.S.). Perceptions of Colorado Basin Roundtable Success Colorado Basin Roundtable members were asked whether their roundtable has been successful at meeting their personal water management goals, their goals for the Colorado Basin Roundtable, and their overall statewide policy goals. Overall, members reported that the roundtable has been less than moderately successful at meeting the various types of goals (Table 3.1, next page). However, some members noted in an open-ended question that the roundtable has not yet had time to accomplish many of its goals. Colorado Basin Roundtable members were also asked Key Finding 3.1: When the whether their roundtable has been successful at survey was taken, the accomplishing a variety of activities. For most questions, roundtable process may have they responded that the roundtable has been only been too new for CO Basin moderately successful at accomplishing the activities. Roundtable respondents to Roundtable members reported that the roundtable has had view it as highly successful. the least success at developing a needs assessment plan, However, they do believe it fostering collaboration across the basins, and outreach to has had some success with stakeholders outside of the roundtables. On the other the grants process, educating hand, the most success to date has been developing a its members, and fostering grants process, educating its roundtable members, and collaboration within the basin. fostering collaboration within the Colorado basin (Table 3.1, next page). Some Colorado Basin roundtable members were more likely than others to report that the roundtable has been successful: Recreational and environmental affiliations were more likely to report that dialogue within the roundtable and outreach to stakeholders outside the roundtable have both been successful. 7 Details of the data in this section can be found in Appendix A, Tables A3.1 – A3.6. Colorado Institute of Public Policy 27 of 64