Water

Water will continue to be an important issue in Colorado due to our semi-arid climate and growing population. Colorado's population projections predict that most of the state's growth will occur in the Front Range in the next 25 years. The Metro Mayors Caucus (MMC) began working on water issues in 2002 with a focus on tree preservation during the drought and public information on conservation. Representatives of the Metro Mayors Caucus were also active participants in the drafting of the Colorado 64 Principles (PDF), a collaborative statewide effort to outline basic principles to assist decision makers and water managers in crafting fair and mutually beneficial water projects, legislation and water related policy.

Water Conservation & Stewardship

In April of 2004, the Caucus began drafting a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Water Conservation and Stewardship (PDF). Signed by 28 jurisdictions and endorsed by 16 organizations, the MOU establishes a common understanding among the mayors of the importance of water to all aspects of life and commerce in Colorado and expresses the intent of the signing jurisdictions to enhance the stewardship of the water resource within their jurisdictions in a number of specific ways.

Best Management Practices for Water Conservation

After the signing of the MOU on January 22, 2005, the Caucus teamed with the Colorado WaterWise Council to draft Best Management Practices (BMPS) for Water Conservation (PDF). The BMPs were a direct outgrowth of the commitment within the MOU to "use our best efforts to continue to identify and adopt, or urge the water utilities that serve us to adopt, best management practices that achieve efficient water use through conservation, reuse, and/or new technologies." As stated in the MMC cover letter to the mayors (PDF), the BMPs are specifically intended to serve as a menu of options to water providers that want to enhance water conservation by reducing demand among their customers. In June of 2005, these Best Management Practices were adopted as an appendix to the Colorado Model Water Conservation Plan by the Colorado Water Conservation Board.