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Agricultural water is the prime target for water transfers to urban and recreational uses. All participants in the survey agree that whether you own it or want it, agricultural water is the most likely source for shifting water to new demands. Beyond the three areas of consensus, five separate beliefs are held by a majority of participants: • Money has become the means for allocating water. • The market is not always the appropriate method for allocating water. • Protecting existing individual water rights is important, and this is the case whether one believes the system is broken or not. • Water court decisions have been favorable to agricultural interests, a belief that those inside and outside the agricultural community hold. • Current water law is quite functional —it is neither outdated nor unable to handle new demands. Recognizing that people across a wide spectrum hold some beliefs in common is essential to pro- ductive conservations. If nothing else, we can all agree that our respective economic interests —be they private gain or public good —are somehow dependent, to a greater or lesser extent, upon water. While we differ on which interests should be prioritized, it is useful to realize that different positions oftentimes are rooted in the same value. Understanding our differences Effective decision - making requires that we understand the differences that exist within the water community. Understanding is accepting that another person's beliefs are "true" for that indi- vidual, even if it is contrary to one's own personal beliefs and values (Flick, 1998). Understanding does not mean agreeing with an interest, nor does it require that we surrender our own beliefs and values. Ultimately, solutions arise from a thoughtful consideration of our differences. From our com- mon beliefs, we can begin to discuss where we diverge. The survey of Colorado water stake- holders also unveiled five areas of significant disagreement: • The "use it or lose it" doctrine is seen by some to encourage wasteful use of water while others believe it has no detrimental impact. • There is a strong division of opinion on whether there is a connection between land use and water planning. • Some respondents believe the recent drought proved the inadequacies of the current water system, while some felt just the opposite. • Some respondents think there is plenty of wa- ter if used wisely, while others see a shortage and think new water needs to be developed. • There is significant disagreement as to whether or not environmental claims have limited legal recognition. The Colorado survey reveals that there are six distinct combinations of beliefs about water. The six types of beliefs, reflected in the clustering of survey statements, are described in detail in the CIPP water white paper. The labels reflect the group's value and belief orientation: • Statewide economic growth • Environmental concerns • Living within our limits • Stay the course • Broken system • State rights The belief types allow for an examination of commonalities and differences across the wa- ter community as well as the ability to locate yourself and others with respect to each other. However, more important than finding one's own beliefs is examining the beliefs of others. When reviewing these stakeholder belief types, you are able to consider: • Who am I? Do I know people in the other types? Do I see new information? 'J