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Western Colorado residents may not know what the Colorado River Water Conservation District is but they do support what the river district is doing to protect Colorado's water resources.

In a survey completed in May by the river district in May, 93 percent of respondents approved of the district's activities of holding California to its entitlement of Colorado water and 92 percent supported the use of river district revenue for water development grants. There also was a lot of support -- more than 90 percent in each case -- for the district's response to the 2002 drought, which included acquiring unused stored water for drought relief and managing demand and stored water supplies during the drought.

Two catalysts prompted the survey -- the 2002 drought and the defeat last year of the river district's request to increase funds, through a .25 mill levy increase, for the construction of additional water storage.

"We wanted to figure out who our constituents are," said Peter Roessmann, education specialist for the river district. "There have been lots of demographic shifts in the last 10 years and people bring with them their perceptions of water, its scarcity and its value."

The river district polled constituents from all of the 15 West Slope counties within the district's boundaries to gage the public's opinion and knowledge of water issues in the aftermath of the worst single drought year in the recorded history of Colorado.

The river district serves Moffat, Routt, Grand, Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, Rio Blanco, Garfield, Mesa, Delta, Gunnison, Ouray and portions of Saguache, Hinsdale and Montrose counties.

Roessmann said river district officials learned that economic concerns were the most important among river district constituents followed closely by the belief that water is a valuable resource.

According to those polled, the Western Slope's economy is what is in greatest need of repair. More than half of all respondents, 52 percent, reported that better paying jobs are the most important factor to improving the region's quality of life. Second most important is reducing traffic and congestion (19 percent) in a region that lacks the large-scale road improvements like the Front Range's T-Rex project.

For residents of headwaters counties, such as Eagle and Summit counties, the economic value of water for supporting their recreation-based economies was well understood.

Tourism-dependent areas mentioned that recreational use of water was the most important use of this resource for their economic well being. Recreation is not only part of local economies but it plays a major role in the region's lifestyle as well. Among all persons polled, 44 percent participated in flatwater recreation and 41 percent recreated in rivers and streams on at least a monthly basis. Nearly one out of every four residents on the Western Slope recreates on and in Western Slope water at least weekly.

Fifty-four percent of respondents to the survey said water was the most essential or most important natural resource. That beat out both wildlife, at 13 percent, and open space, 18 percent.

"We were amazed at that recognition in the importance and value of water," Roessmann said.

He said not only did residents value water for its uses, but also for its economic value.

"There was recognition of water as a resource that economically drives the Valley," Roessmann said.

However, when asked what are the areas of greatest need for the region's leaders to engage in planning and cooperative efforts, development of new water resources was less of a priority (14 percent) than managing growth (26 percent), improving healthcare (23 percent) and seeking new jobs and businesses (18 percent).

What river district officials learned from the survey, he said, was that they need to let people know what the district does and its role on the Western Slope.

"We've been speculating for a long time 'do people know and how well?'" Roessmann said. "Now we have a baseline to use now and in the future."

The survey's results will be used by river district staff and directors as a guide for future planning. They will also be used for educational campaigns, as facts presented on proposed water legislation and to defend against incursions into the Western Slope's water supply.

"It allows us to better represent our constituents and their values," Roessmann said. "It gives me an understanding of what knowledge people have of water and whether they get their information and how they form their opinions."

The survey was completed by Hill Research Consultants at a cost of $20,000. A telephone survey of 552 registered voters within the district's 15 counties was completed in May.

The vast majority of those polled, 87 percent, said the quality of life in Western Colorado is good to excellent. Survey respondents agreed that Colorado is a place of scenic beauty, where good recreational opportunities abound and it is a good place to raise a family.

Sixty-four percent of those polled said developing irrigation projects to help farmers and ranchers should be a high priority for the river district and 67 percent said that Western Colorado's agricultural heritage and the open space and wildlife habitat it enhances should be protected by river district actions.

When asked what the priorities of the river district should be for managing the Western Slope's water, maintaining in-home access to water for drinking, bathing and cleaning garnered 82 percent of the audience's approval as a high priority. More than 70 percent agreed that protecting water quality should be a high priority, followed closely by protecting the ability of Western Colorado to put its own water resources to beneficial use (78 percent). Developing a comprehensive plan to protect and preserve the region's water supply (77 percent) also was seen as a top priority. More than half (51 percent) responded that developing new water resources should be a high priority for the district. Using water for watering lawns and gardens was the least important use of water both personally and in economic terms for the region (21 percent).

The Western Slope feels the heat from other regions wishing to prey upon its water resources. Western Slope residents are most concerned about the threat posed by thirsty downstream states such as California, with 64 percent of the respondents feeling "very threatened" and 24 percent feeling "somewhat threatened" by out-of-state interests. Development of Colorado's remaining Colorado River Compact entitlement is therefore important to Western Colorado.

However, Front Range communities followed behind California's threatening nature with 45 percent of those polled perceiving the state to be "very threatening" and 39 percent seeing them as being at least "somewhat threatening" as a competitor for the Western Slope's water resources.

Other Western Slope water users, federal agencies and environmental regulations were deemed as much less of threat to in-basin use of water than either California or the Front Range.

Christina M. Currie can be reached at 824-7031, Ext. 210 or by e-mail at ccurrie@craigdailypress.