Laserfiche WebLink
STATE OF COLORADO <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Bill Ritter, Jr. <br />Governor <br />Harris D. Sherman <br />Executive Director <br />)H,O)~wOR~ Department of <br />Natural Resources <br />November 14, 2007 <br />Fellow Coloradans: <br />Addressing Colorado's Future Water Needs <br />As we move forward over the next decade we will have important decisions to make which will have a <br />tremendous impact on the vision for Colorado's future. At the center of these decisions will be one of our <br />most precious natural resources-- water. As we chart our path and explore how we use and develop water it is <br />essential that we make informed decisions. To assist in that effort the Colorado Water Conservation Board, in <br />collaboration with water interests throughout the state, has produced this important report. <br />Building on the initial findings and recommendations of the 2003 Statewide Water Supply Initiative, this <br />report summarizes the work of Technical Roundtables that were formed to conduct detailed analysis of four <br />key topics. It is hoped that this information can help form the basis for Colorado to begin to identify and <br />implement solutions for our water supply future in a manner that will benefit all water user interests. The four <br />areas of investigation included: <br />^ Water Conservation and Efficiency (Agricultural and Municipal and Industrial) <br />^ Alternative Agricultural Water Transfer Methods to Traditional Purchase and Transfer <br />^ Delineating and Prioritizing Colorado's Environmental and Recreational Resources and Needs <br />^ Addressing the Water Supply Gap (between Current Supply and Current and Future Water Needs) <br />The overall goal of this effort was to develop a range of solutions that will sustainably meet our future water <br />needs. Developing a range of potential solutions will help water providers, policymakers, and stakeholders <br />gain a deeper understanding of the relative role that water efficiency, agricultural transfers, and new water <br />development can play in meeting future needs and the trade-offs associated with these solutions. These <br />solutions can then be considered in the context of meeting human needs for water and providing for the needs <br />of Colorado's natural environment and recreation. <br />Harris D. Sherman <br />Executive Director, Colorado Department of <br />Natural Resources and <br />Director of Compact Negotiations <br />Travis Smith <br />Chair, Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />