BOARD00043 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 9/19/2006
• Description: CF Section - Finance Subcommittee Meeting
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Meeting

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· Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

STATE OF COLORADO

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Russell George
Executive Director

From:

Ray Alvarado

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

Date:

August 31, 2006

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Re: Non-Reimbursable Investments, Arkansas River Basin Decision Support System Feasibility Study

Introduction

.This request is for doing a feasibility study for a Decision Support System (DSS) in the Arkansas River Basin.
As with other DSS feasibility studies, the Arkansas feasibility study is to define the purpose for, uses of, users,
components, data requirements, costs and schedule required to implement such a system. This study will be
done for the upper Arkansas River Basin, upstream of Pueblo Reservoir Dam. The results of the feasibility
study will be used by this agency and the Division of Water Resources for recommending the development of
an Arkansas decision support system (ARKDSS) for the upper Arkansas. For FY 07-08, an appropriation of
$200,000 is being sought from the Construction Fund.

Discussion

The general ARKDSS feasibility study objectives are to:
. Determine the feasibility of developing a DSS for the upper Arkansas similar to the systems
implemented in the Colorado, Rio Grande and South Platte River Basins, but taking into account the
basin specific needs and water resource challenges.
. Identify the scope, functions, and elements of the DSS, as well as the data needs, costs, and schedule to
develop the ARKDSS for the upper basin.

The feasibility study will encompass the upper Arkansas River drainage (Division 2), starting from the Pueblo
Reservoir dam to the headwaters, for hydrologic and administrative reasons. Due to years of compact litigation,
the lower part of the basin is data rich, with existing tools, analysis and understanding of the water resources.
The upper basin does not have this same level of water resource data collection, analysis or understanding as in
the lower basin, downstream of Pueblo Reservoir.

&ecommendation
Staff recommends that the Board request the General Assembly authorize $200,000 from the Construction Fund
to be appropriated to the Colorado Water Conservation Board for the Arkansas River DSS feasibility study for
the upper basin.