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Mapping the Colorado Basin Rou ndtable’s Water Policy Networks Perceptions and Affiliations O CO R and W CO UTSIDE THE OUNDTABLE ITHIN THE R OUNDTABLE When roundtable and external stakeholders’ affiliations Key Finding 4.8: Holding an were looked at in combination with the six measures of elected position in the state or influence, trust, dependability, information exchange, elected office on a roundtable information importance, and perception of shared goals, is, not surprisingly, related to three clear patterns emerged. W CO ITHIN THE being perceived to have R , the members’ affiliations (e.g. water industry, OUNDTABLE influence in water policy and government, etc.) are not related to whether they were management issues. identified as influential. O CO R UTSIDE THE OUNDTABLE those who are perceived as the most influential in water policy and management issues are the individuals holding elected or appointed government positions. Although holding elected and appointed government positions in the broader water community was not related to influence within the Colorado Basin Roundtable, serving as an elected officer on the roundtable itself was related to influence for roundtable members. The results make sense, with elected officials in the state and elected officers within a roundtable often holding greater decision-making power than others do in the water policy and management community or on the roundtable. O CO R stakeholders who are UTSIDE THE OUNDTABLE Key Finding 4.9: Among associated with special districts, including water many stakeholders who conservancy and conservation districts, irrigation districts, responded to the survey, the rural water districts, and other special districts are widely individuals who work for or trusted, believed to be dependable, and frequently with special districts are seen exchanging important information with other water as supportive and helpful stakeholders. They appear to be very actively engaged partners. partners on water policy and management issues for many respondents. Water stakeholders L CO R OOKING INTO THE OUNDTABLE Key Finding 4.10: The survey were much more likely to identify roundtable members with respondents are highly environmental and recreational affiliations as the ones they connected to the roundtable trust, receive important information from, can depend on to members with environmental follow through on a commitment, and believe share their or recreational affiliations, goals. This finding is likely connected to the earlier suggesting a more engaged findings related to the cohesiveness of the Protecting Non- network may exist within the Consumptive Needs cluster. Potentially, those with shared environmental or recreational beliefs related to non-consumptive needs are community than within communicating more frequently not only within the communities associated with Colorado Basin Roundtable, but also outside it. agricultural, government, or Consequently, they may have reported more contacts for other affiliations. each perception question, their contacts may have been more likely to respond to the survey, or their contacts may have been more likely to identify the roundtable member who originally identified them. Any of these scenarios would result in a disproporti onate number of respondents with environmental or recreational interests who are connected closely to those with similar beliefs on the Colorado Basin Roundtable. Colorado Institute of Public Policy 35 of 64