Planning for future growth and the requisite water needs prompts difficult conversations across the state. The Colorado Water Plan aims to address the water/population imbalance by compiling input from eight water basin roundtables to craft a statewide path for reasonable water use.

The Southwest Basin Roundtable, which covers water use in the area, is conducting a series of meetings to roll out its vision for the Dolores, San Miguel and San Juan basins – which includes the Animas River. These sessions provide residents a critical opportunity to learn about the group’s plans for conserving and using scarce water in the region.

There will be a discussion from 6-8 p.m. today at the Pine River Senior Center at 111 West South St. in Bayfield, as well as a session from 6-8 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Mancos Community Center at 117 N. Main St. in Mancos. For more information, visit http://coloradowaterplan.com.