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• Board Meeting Date: 5/19/2009
• Description: IWMD Section - Water Supply Reserve Account ‎(WSRA)‎ Criteria and Guidelines
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Revised July 8 10 , 2009
SWSI Key Recommendations
1. Ongoing dialogue among all water interests is needed to help ensure wise management of
Colorado’s water resources.
2. Track and support identified projects and pro cesses as they play a critical role in meeting
Colorado’s future M&I needs.
3. Develop a program to evaluate, quantify, and prioritize environmental and recreational water
enhancement goals.
4. Work toward consensus recommendations on funding mechanisms for environmental and
recreational enhancements.
5. Create a common understanding of future water supplies available for development in each
basin.
6. Develop implementation plans towards meeting future water supply needs both for identified
projects and processes and in areas where there are no identified plans to meet future needs.
7. Assess potential new state roles in implementing solutions.
8. Develop requirements for standardized annual M&I water use data reporting.
Based on these findings and recommendations and dialogue among all water interests, CWCB
identified three broad conclusions: 1) there is a need to help expedite the implementation of
water management projects for all water needs; 2) projects and planning processes needed to
meet Colorado’s future water needs must address transfers and development of water in a
manner that meets multiple interests and needs; and 3) there is strong desire for the state to
provide financial assistance.
These criteria and guidelines were developed based on information that the Interbasin Compact
Committee (IBCC) and CWCB have learned from the SWSI and stakeholder feedback obtained
during that process, input from the Basin Round tables, and information from other important
studies and programs that the CWCB has implemented and administered over the years.
While the SWSI was the most comprehensive statewide water study undertaken to date the SWSI
could not provide all the answers to the water resource issues that have challenged Colorado for
decades; nor could it foresee all the emerging and changing needs and issues. Additional
information and updating and refinement of data will be critical to ensure that we make wise
resource management decisions.
In 2005, to further the efforts of the SWSI and to help address water development needs in
Colorado, the Colorado General Assembly passed the “Colorado Water for the 21 Century Act”
st
(House Bill 05-1177) which in part established permanent water roundtables in 8 river basins and
the Denver metro area. Throughout these two efforts there has been a clear recognition of the
need for financial assistance to address water challenges in our state. It was recognized that a
new program would be needed to assist all water users in addressing their critical water supply
issues and interests. This understanding led to the passage of Senate Bill 06-179.
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