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All participants in the study were asked a common set of questions. Participants were categorized into six groups: elected officials; local jurisdiction managers; water managers; business stakeholders; environmental stakeholders; and miscellaneous stakeholders. The questions were open ended and assumed that some sort of regional process would occur, but did not further define the process. Questions fell into four general categories: goals and outcomes; participation, public involvement, and structure; assumptions and the region of focus; and concerns about engaging in a regional process.
The following themes were evident in responses across stakeholder groups:
Overall, the responses universally reveal a sincere desire to cooperate on regional water planning. For an area that has had historical difficulties in regional collaboration on water matters, this is an encouraging finding. All players are not yet on the same page regarding the approach to regional planning, but they appear to be interested in getting on the same page. While respondents may have been guarded in their responses, they seem open to a long-term undertaking. Water concerns have been heightened by the debate surrounding the November 2007 ballot proposition, the long-term drought, uncertainty associated with climate change, and our region’s continued growth. Perhaps the stakes are finally high enough to warrant serious and broad efforts to collaborate on water resource planning.
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