Consensus building as a primary tool to resolve water supply conflicts
Date
2004-10
Authors
Smith, MaryLou M., author
U.S. Committee on Irrigation and Drainage, publisher
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Abstract
The allocation of limited supplies of water for multiple uses in the western United States is increasingly difficult. Stakeholders have diverse and seemingly irreconcilable needs, with many deep-rooted opinions on how the water should be allocated. A complex system of water rights and the regulations of multiple government agencies add further complications. The U.S. Department of the Interior has deemed the issue serious enough to undertake Water 2025: Preventing Crises and Conflict in the West, to "speed up the resolution of water supply problems and ensure that the solutions are balanced and durable." How will solutions be found? Are more technological solutions needed, or better application of the technological solutions already available? Or are solutions more likely to be found in the arena of resolution of conflict among stakeholders laying claim to the water? How can the public be brought onboard in a meaningful way, when the issues are so complex? Do models used in the past provide the framework through which resolution can be achieved? Does legislative action and/or public referendums help or hinder? This paper proposes that those responsible for making decisions about water supply allocation should consider creative consensus building processes their primary tool, not a peripheral one. Such processes should take the place of adversarial debate and litigation which often leads to mediocre results and a discouraged, disenfranchised public. Research dollars should be allocated to explore emerging collaboration techniques and to formulate and test state of the art consensus building technologies. Consensus built solutions should replace 1) adversarial debate on the part of legislative bodies and 2) voting by the public via the referendum process. The State of Colorado's current experience with a statewide water supply initiative following a failed public referendum is discussed as a case study.
Description
Presented during the USCID water management conference held on October 13-16, 2004 in Salt Lake City, Utah. The theme of the conference was "Water rights and related water supply issues."