Attitudes Toward Water Allocation: Segmenting the Public on Beliefs toward Water Conservation

The population in the American West has been increasing at a rapid rate and is predicted to continue growing. As a result, the availability, use, and allocation of water throughout the West have become the source of conflict and contention. This growing conflict emphasizes the need to understand the diversity of values, beliefs, and attitudes that members of the general public throughout the West hold about the allocation of water resources. Using data collected from an internet-based survey, dimensions for basic beliefs about water conservation were developed. Respondents from the state of Colorado were clustered based on their level of agreement to these basic belief dimensions. These clustered respondents were then compared on attitudinal preferences regarding priorities for water allocation and municipal strategies for water conservation. Results supported the existence of distinct segments based on value-laden basic beliefs about water conservation and the connection of these segments with preferences toward specific water management strategies. Values-based segmentation, when connected with specific preferences for management actions, can help inform water managers when making future water conservation and policy decisions.