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Addressing Water Supply Challenges Through Governance for Multiple Use: <br /> A Sociological Study of <br /> Environmental Flow Management in the Colorado River Basin in Colorado <br /> 410 Peter Leigh Taylor, Ph.D. <br /> Department of Sociology, Colorado State University <br /> Location of the work: Colorado's Western Slope in the Colorado River Basin. <br /> Purpose: The research will explore the potential and the challenges of organizing for <br /> multiple use water governance by studying several significant cases of environmental <br /> flow management on the Colorado River and its tributaries on Colorado's Western Slope. <br /> The organizational analysis will compare in-depth the experiences of the Upper Colorado <br /> River Endangered Fish Recovery Program with those of other initiatives in which <br /> multiple user groups seek to develop local management alternatives to ESA, W&S or <br /> related federal designations. Additional case studies will be selected from among the <br /> Upper Colorado River Wild and Scenic Stakeholder Group, the Dolores River Dialogue, <br /> the Lower San Miguel in-stream flow controversy or similar cases. Analysis will address <br /> the following questions: what are existing successes and challenges of cutting edge <br /> � organizational <br /> cooperation in river management? What external conditions and internal orgamzatio <br /> factors shape the success and challenges of water governance for multiple use? What <br /> strategies might strengthen environmental flow governance as a management option that <br /> can respond effectively to the growing needs of the River's multiple stakeholders, <br /> including those of traditional users such as agriculture, municipal/industrial and energy? <br /> S Need: Today, increasing competition among multiple interests in Colorado drives a trend <br /> toward a"buy and dry" of agriculture, largely for growing municipal and industrial uses, <br /> a development with important implications for the health of rural communities. New <br /> nontraditional water users also make their voices heard, including environmental, <br /> recreation, oil and gas interests and other emerging users. Future population increases and <br /> predicted climate change are expected to result in a water supply gap of as much as 30% <br /> by 2050,posing unprecedented stresses for Colorado's existing governance system. The <br /> challenges facing Colorado water call for new approaches to resource governance that are <br /> coherent with the Compact and the Law of the River, yet can effectively manage <br /> emerging realities of multiple water uses, claims, and user groups. <br /> Work to be completed and completion date: An extensive review will be done of <br /> published and unpublished research related to the history and current experience with <br /> environmental flow management in the context of multiple use. Field observation at <br /> physical sites of in-stream flow management and at public meetings will be made. In- <br /> depth interviews will be done with a structured sample of local users, policy experts, and <br /> local, state and federal officials involved in existing environmental flow governance <br /> experiences. Feedback meetings with studied groups will provide cross-checking of <br /> preliminary analysis and additional data. Research products will include peer reviewed <br /> academic articles and reports directed toward participating water users. <br /> Funding: This research is being supported by Colorado State University's Office of the <br /> • Vice President for Engagement, Experiment Station and Colorado Water Institute. <br /> November, 2012 <br />