At the Colorado Water Congress last week, Colorado Department of Natural Resources Director Harris Sherman stated, "We have a new frontier of water challenges that needs to be evaluated." He was talking specifically about Colorado: the scene being played out in Colorado is simply a microcosm of the situation facing all of the Rocky Mountain States.

Population growth in the Rocky Mountain West is projected to be among the highest in the next twenty years and there are competing demands for water from urban areas, industry, agriculture and recreation. As water development in most areas has reached a plateau the key task now being faced is how to allocate the current water resources. Sherman’s immediate approach is to initiate the development of a vision for the next 50 years in Colorado water; a long term plan which would hopefully preempt a crisis situation whereby water users find themselves without the necessary water to survive; personally or economically.

This obviously is no easy task and is as much an exercise in social science and psychology as it is one of practical supply and demand. In the case of Colorado, the Interbasin Compact committee, a statewide panel fed by nine basin roundtables that was designed in 2005 to sort out state water issues, is still characterized by a degree of mistrust left by 150 years of water wars. Resolving the allocation of water calls for a diplomatic approach to negotiating compromises: a mediation process involving all the concerned parties.

An Innovative proposal for dealing with conflicts of interest is put forward in the document Living in the Rocky Mountain West, 2025, a publication issued by the Colorado Institute for Public Policy. The proposal was based on surveys that were carried out assessing the beliefs and values of Rocky Mountain water users. It suggests that the foundation of any negotiation process is an articulation of the beliefs and values of all parties and a commitment to reaching a workable compromise. From this standpoint it outlines a methodology for finding common ground in proposing solutions. Successful implementation of the technique relies upon a basis of trust created by an understanding and respect for the shared commonalities and for the differing beliefs and needs of each set of stakeholders.

While recognizing that water conflicts have always existed in the West it is important to recognize that a considerable degree of success has come about from collaboration, negotiation and compromise in this region. The earlier pioneers survived the harsh conditions by being flexible and adapting to the environment, and these skills and the ability to collaborate now hold the most promise in addressing future challenges.

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