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River. If you push the Industrial into the White River you can construct efficient enough <br />storage. Mike Shimmin (South Platte basin representative) believed as one citizen of the <br />state to take oil shale off the table, he feels it is bad energy policy. He stated that the water <br />belongs to the state under the constitution and the citizens can make a decision as to whether <br />it should be used for oil shale. To say we will provide all this water for oil shale <br />development he believes is wrong because we need that water for general uses. Several <br />people commented on this statement with some comparing taking oil shale off the table to <br />taking growth on the front range off the table. Rod Kuharich (Metro Representative) and T. <br />Wright Dickinson agreed that there should be more examination of existing water rights for <br />energy development. <br />The group also discussed the broader issues and question raised by the presentation. They <br />discussed whether the reduction in irrigated acres "is this inevitable" or can we choose a different <br />direction." Many expressed concern about the possible reductions fearing that Colorado will not <br />have the "critical mass" to have a viable ag economy statewide. <br />The group decided that more information on water supply strategies was needed and that a timetable <br />to do the studies needed to be laid out. Travis Smith (CWCB member) said he would be interested <br />in picking some of the strategies and developing them to get more information. Everyone felt that <br />moving forward with the strategies and devising some scenarios that would incorporate some of the <br />strategies would help. Harris Sherman said that his staff could put together these strategies and <br />bring them back to the group but it would be sometime after the December IBCC meeting. <br />Harris closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their time and felt like they made some real <br />progress on the tough questions. <br />Next Meeting <br />Friday, December 12, 2008 <br />Sheraton Denver West <br />360 Union Boulevard