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<br />.'., <br /> <br />m"y <br /> <br />-~~~;'-- <br /> <br />~i.tt . <br />"~~stern Colorado Congress. <br /> <br />Colorado Water. Conservation Board, <br /> <br />,~>I:-..... .~. ....~,;I ....T__ <br /> <br />Statewide Water Supply Initiative: <br /> <br /> <br />~,...' ..... <br /> <br />Concerns with the ,process <br /> <br />Following the recent meeting of the' Sta~ewide Water Supply Initiative held in Montrose <br />on February 17, the Water Committee of Western Colorado ,Congress (eels-it is important <br />to explain some of our concerns with this process and the methods being used. <br /> <br />HThe o,.erall objective of the Statewide Water Supply Initiative (SWSI) is to help <br />Colorado maintain an adequate ......Jater supply for its citizens and the environment. SWSI <br />is not intended to take the place of local water planning initiatives. Rather, it is a <br />.1orum tl to develop a common understanding of existing water supplies andfuture water <br />supply" needs and demands_ throughout Colorado, and possible means of meeting those <br />l1eeds~ CWCB, through the SWSI and future efforts" will help support and/or identify <br />solutions to t~ese water supply needs." <br />Statemenr of ~.Objective JJ from. SWSI 'tt'ebsite. <br /> <br />Outcome not clearly defined <br /> <br />The intended outcome of the Initiative is not cle":r,, The purpose,~ as stated in news <br />articles.. is to review the water needs and availability of various basins as -well as <br />to obtain a list of possible projects for those basins. We are not aware of any <br />statutory or official intended outcome~ We ask that this be clarified. <br /> <br />Unless the purpose and outcome of the process are clear, the participation of the <br />stakeholq,ers may not reflect their true interests or the degree of support for -or <br />against anyone project. This lack of clarity may even affect the way in which <br />."- " c-.-cJater demand and al/ailability is portrayed~ - -.-_.. ... ~-~--- --- ------~ <br /> <br />Is the purpo~e of SWSI to bette"r manage existing water supplies, supp]emen~ <br />supplies that are short, better understalJd the full demands of projects? Or, is it to <br />generate a wish list of water projects that legislators and spec.ial interest groups <br />will then pursue for funding and eventual construction? We do not feel this latter <br />possibility is an acceptable outcome. <br /> <br />Not an open or public process . <br /> <br />While thjs~ has been called an Hopen" process, it is not being made a very public one. <br />Little or no effort is being made by SWSI to educate the public and little more is being <br />made to inform the public of meetings. This is further reflected in the fact there was less <br />