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r <br />In the Colorado River Basin (Water Divisions 4, 5, 6 and 7) consumptive use of <br />water is the measure of Colorado's compact apportionment under the "Law of the <br />Colorado River. " Therefore, it is important to be able to accurately determine <br />the consumptive use of water on the west slope, particularly as Colorado comes <br />closer to fully using its compact apportionment. Given this background, the <br />needs of the Colorado River Basin are: <br />- 1. Improved runoff forecasting. <br />2. Additional real -time satellite - ].inked stream gaging stations. <br />3. Improved estimates of consumptive use through additional climate stations, <br />lysimeter data, and maintenance of the irrigated acreage data developed <br />for 1993 as part of the CRDSS project. <br />• The Arkansas River, the Rio Grande, Costilla Creek, the La Plata River, the <br />Republican River, the North Platte and Laramie Rivers, are being depleted at or <br />very near the limits established by interstate compacts or U.S. Supreme Court <br />decrees. Significant developable water only remains in the Colorado River Basin <br />(Divisions 4, 5, 6 and 7) and in the South Platte River Basin (Division 1). <br />Preliminary demand projections indicate that Colorado would consume all of <br />those remaining compact entitlements. <br />Colorado is facing increased demands for water from downstream states in the <br />Colorado River Basin, the South Platte River Basin, the Republican River Basin, <br />the Arkansas River Basin, the North Platte Basin, the Laramie River Basin, and <br />the Rio Grande Basin. These demands. stem from either growth, the needs of <br />endangered wildlife species listed under the Endangered Species Act, or both. <br />Colorado must be able to defend its compact and federal decree apportionments <br />against those increasing demands and related efforts to challenge or litigate these <br />apportionments. The importance of having quality data to support decision <br />systems and models became evident in the litigation with Kansas (,Kansas v. <br />Colorado 1985). The legislature, the Colorado Water Conservation Board and <br />the Division of Water Resources should, therefore, continue to develop data <br />centered decision support systems similar to the CRDSS in each of Colorado's <br />major river basins. <br />Plan and Schedule <br />Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1 present a list and schedule for developing the information and <br />evaluation tools that are expected to be needed to effectively manage, conserve and preserve the <br />State of Colorado's water resources. The list and schedule are based on the available <br />information identified in this report and builds on the experience and successes of existing <br />M <br />