Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West

• Description: Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West
• State: CO
• Date: 5/5/2003
• Title: Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Meeting

proceedings are completed, water
managers do not know how to allocate
water in times of scarcity. The
resulting uncertainty over "who owns
what" causes chaos and conflict. The
Department of the Interior is committed
to working with states, tribes, and
interested stakeholders to find ways to
accelerate these proceedings in order
to protect existing federal and non-
federal rights.
,� A common element of many of the
potential crises identified in Water
2025 is the need to provide for water
supply for people, cities, and farms in
a manner that also attains the goals of
the federal Endangered Species Act.
Success in meeting this challenge
almost always requires a collaborative
effort between stakeholders, as is
demonstrated by the success of the
Upper Colorado River — San Juan
Endangered Fish Recovery Programs.
These Recovery Programs provide for
the recovery of endangered species
and the continued use and
development of water for people, for
cities, and for farms. A similar effort is
underway in the Central Valley of
California, where the "CalFed" process
.A
has brought diverse stakeholders
together in an effort to protect and
restore important ecological resources
and protect the people and economy of
California.
These large scale efforts to meet the
needs of people and the environment
are based on several realities. First, the
twin goals of recovery of endangered
species and meeting the water needs of
people who live in these areas cannot
be attained when the issues and
resources are locked into a cycle of
short term litigation and decision -
making. Long term Biological Opinions
issued under the Endangered Species
Act are essential to the long term
planning and predictability that both
people and endangered species need.
Second, public support for the state,
private, and federal commitments that is
required to meet these twin goals is
essential. Stakeholders typically will not
commit public or private resources to
water supply development and
endangered species recovery efforts
without an assurance that the benefits
of their investment of resources will not
be swept away by short term decision
making.
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