BOARD00066 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: CWCB Stream Gage Fund and Division of Water Resources Satellite Monitoring Fund
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Water Project Construction Program - Project Data

Applicant: Colorado Water Conservation Board and Division of Water Resources
Project Name: CWCB Stream Gage Fund and the Project Type: Stream Gaging
Satdlile Monitoring Real Time Data Fund
i
Co unty: Statewide Drainage Basin: Water Source: N/A
State\vide Drainage Basins
Tot~t1 Study Cost: $650.000 Funding Sources: CWCB
CWCB Investment: Interest Rate: N/A. Term: N/A
$65-QO()(}

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The CWCB Stream Gage and Satellite Monitoring real-time data funds entail the development
ancLim.plementatiDn.of..a..state.wide-stream-gag.ing.-prog+am-tO-add~8-tOO-gagi-ng-ne€ds-ef-the
Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Division of Water Resources (DWR).

As the state's water planning agency. the CWCB relies upon gages operated by the DWR,
Uni ted States Geological Survey (USGS) anq private entities in order to meet the needs of its
mission critical program areas including Compact Protection. Decision Support System
Development. Floodplain Management and Stream and Lake Protection. However, CWCB
gaging needs are often different from those of the DWR and USGS. Although many existing
gages provide needed data, the DWR's mission is to administer the state's water rights, while the
USGS collects data for long-term scientific record purposes. As a result, stream gages are not .
alvv'ays located where the CWCB needs theil), nor are they necessarily designed to fit CWCB
data collection parameters. This project will enable the CWCB to strengthen its cooperative
efforts with the DWR and USGS to expand, refurbish, redesign and create new gages as well as
develop new strategies and technologies to obtain data that will not only benefit the CWCB but
statewide stakeholder interests. The costs associated with the CWCB stream gaging program are
estimated at $300,000 per year.

A key component of this combined CWCB/DWR project is the continued, long-term operational
viability of the State Satellite Linked Monitoring System, which is administered by the Division
of Water Resources. This system, which is comprised of over 300 satellite-gaging stations,
requires continued renovation and flood harqening of existing gages, replacement of outdated
data collection platforms and upgrades to transmission components. In addition, many existing
gaging stations need to be modi tied to provide critical stream flow data for flood warning and
low tlow monitoring. Changes in technology. which will ultimately increase reliability and real
time data transmission rates will require the DWR to upgrade the system over a 1 O-year period.
The costs associated with the continued refurbishment and operational viability of the system is
approximately $350.000 per year.

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