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Water in the Rocky Mountain West, 2025

Understanding Beliefs and Values to… Move from Debate to Dialogue Dr. Lyn Kathlene Dr. Robert Ward Colorado Institute of Public Policy Colorado State University MaryLou Smith Aqua Engineering, Inc. Colorado Water Workshop July 28, 2006. Water in the Rocky Mountain West, 2025.

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Water in the Rocky Mountain West, 2025

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  1. Understanding Beliefs and Values to…Move from Debate to DialogueDr. Lyn KathleneDr. Robert WardColorado Institute of Public PolicyColorado State UniversityMaryLou SmithAqua Engineering, Inc.Colorado Water WorkshopJuly 28, 2006

  2. Water in the Rocky Mountain West, 2025 Colorado Institute of Public Policy

  3. Beliefs and Values as a Means for Cooperation Colorado Institute of Public Policy

  4. Conflict or Cooperation? • How do we address: • scarcity • increasing demand • new uses • declining quality

  5. Understanding Beliefs and Values • Instead of fighting for favorite solutions (positions) • Step back to understand the beliefs and values (interests) those positions are based on

  6. The Water Survey • Q-Methodology—assign different weights to beliefs and values statements • Used in contentious policy arenas • Important to have the full range of stakeholders participate, but numbers not so important

  7. Q-Sort Statement Array

  8. Affiliations of 84 Survey Participants

  9. Six Belief Types • Statewide Economic Growth • Environmental Concerns • Living within Our Limits • Stay the Course • Broken System • State Rights

  10. Everyone agreed… • Water is fundamental to the economy. • An appropriated right does not mean water will be available for use. • Agricultural water is the prime target for water transfers to urban and recreational uses.

  11. Most everyone agreed... • Money has become the driver for allocating water. • The market is not always the appropriate method for allocating water. • It is important to protect existing individual water rights. • Water court decisions have been favorable to agricultural interests. • Current water law is quite functional.

  12. But they disagreed about… • The “use it or lose it” doctrine. • Whether there is a disconnect between land use and water planning. • Whether the recent drought proved the current water system works well or not. • Whether there is plenty of water if used wisely; or • If new water needs to be developed. • Whether or not environmental claims have adequate legal standing.

  13. An example of shared beliefs… Statewide Economic Growth and Environmental Concerns • Environmental needs should have similar standing in water law; • Water conservation are important policies to implement; • Using less water does not mean our quality of life will be lowered; and • Markets are not always the best mechanism for allocating water.

  14. An example of conflicting beliefs… Statewide Economic Growth versus Environmental Concerns Differ on whether or not land use planning and water planning are adequately connected: • The Statewide Economic Growth group believes the current system is working fine. • The Environmental Concerns strongly believe these is a disconnect between the two types of planning, which is detrimental to the long-term sustainability of water.

  15. What can we do with what we learned? • Do we see commonalities we didn’t know or consider before? • Can understanding “where we come from” help us move from debate to dialogue about the future of water in Colorado?

  16. Understanding Beliefs and Values to Move From Debate to Dialogue….. …. Just the Beginning

  17. “If conversations within the water community begin with values and beliefs, common values can emerge, allowing for a wider range of positions and more enduring solutions.”

  18. “The water community has not embraced dialogue and cooperation among all interests as the first and fundamental step toward addressing challenges. We are beginning to talk about the potential for such approaches, but have yet to implement them in an effective manner.”

  19. DEBATE: Me against You

  20. DIALOGUE: You and Me Against the Problem THE PROBLEM

  21. Debate vs. Dialogue • We debatepositions—what we want • We have a dialogue aboutinterests (beliefs/values)—why we want it

  22. A Debate over Positions My position is what I want • We have to build more storage! • We have to keep more water in the streams!

  23. A Dialogue about Our Interests (Beliefs and Values) My interests are why I want it • We need enough water for the population • We need to protect the environment

  24. Debate: PolarizesDialogue: Builds on Shared Values • It is easier to agree on shared values than to agree on positions. • Agreeing on shared values gives us common ground to start from. We can build solutions from there. • Even having a dialogue about where we disagree is powerful

  25. Dialogue to Clarify Three Categories of Interests/Values: • Shared • Different but Compatible • Conflicting

  26. Debate vs. Dialogue

  27. Debate vs. Dialogue

  28. To incorporate beliefs and values into decisions about water: • Clarify the interests (values) • Recognize the commonalities • Understand the differences • Face the challenges • Work toward innovative strategies

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