Transition Notebook - IBC

• Title: Interbasin Compact Process
• IBCC - Doc Type: Articles & Speeches

Interbasin Compact Process

Accomplishments

Procedural: The passage ofHB 05-1177 established the Interbasin Compact Process
creating nine basin roundtables and the statewide Interbasin Compact Committee (IBCC).
The roundtables and the IBCC provide a permanent forum for broad-based water
discussions and encourage locally driven collaborative solutions to the state's water
challenges. The formation of the 9 roundtables and the IBCC has involved over 300
Coloradoans in water discussions. Reflecting the grassroots nature of this process, each
roundtable has established its own by-laws, elected its own leaders, and set its own
meeting schedule and agendas. The IBCC consists of two representatives from each
roundtable, six governor appointees, two legislative appointees, and the Director of
Compact Negotiations. The IBCC has established its own by-laws and successfully
negotiated a Charter to govern and guide negotiations between basin roundtables. The
General Assembly approved the IBCC Charter and provided appropriations for the
continued implementation of the process through HB 06-1400.

Educational: The roundtables and the IBCC have embarked on ambitious educational
agendas. One of the key strengths and key challenges of this process is it expands the
range of individuals actively participating in Colorado's water decisions. To help
roundtable members get up to speed on Colorado water issues, DNR worked with the
Colorado Foundation for Water Education to provide each roundtable member a baseline
of resources and information on Colorado's water issues. Roundtables have dedicated a
significant portion of the meeting agendas to learning from each other the water issues in
their basin and fulfilling their role as a forum for education and debate regarding methods
for meeting water needs. The IBCC has fulfilled its statutory obligation and established a
Public Education, Participation, and Outreach Working Group which is undertaking a
number of activities to further the educational and public involvement goals of this
process.

Basin-Wide Water Needs Assessments and Potential Solutions: HB 05-1177 requires
each roundtable to develop a basin-wide consumptive and non-consumptive water needs
assessment. Roundtables are relying on SWSI as the starting point and core of their
needs assessment. A Basin Report based on SWSI has been produced for each
roundtable. Roundtables have the opportunity to refine, update, and add to SWSI using
other sources of information and technical assistance provided to the roundtables with
appropriations from HB 06-1400. HB 06-1400 provides technical assistance to the
roundtables for the development of their needs assessments.