Flood DSS Prototype Report

• Title: Prototype FloodDSS Project Summary and Recommendations
• Description: Project Summary and Report document
• Decision Support - Doc Type: Report
• Date: 6/30/2006
• DSS: Flood
• Basin: Statewide
• Prepared By: Riverside

1. Introduction
This document provides a summary of the outcomes of the Flood DSS (Decision Support System)
prototype project, as implemented by Riverside Technology, inc., and provides recommendations for a
full scale Flood DSS implementation. Project tasks are summarized to document activities that may need
to be repeated in a full -scale implementation.
RTi wishes to acknowledge the help of Colorado Water Conservation Board (CWCB), Division of Water
Resources (DWR), Larimer County, and City of Fort Collins staff, who facilitated the implementation of
the prototype by providing data and technical support.
The CWCB has invested in Decision Support Systems (DSSs) for several years, in particular the basin
DSSs collectively known as Colorado's Decision Support Systems (CDSS). The DSS efforts provide
specific solutions to meet the prioritized needs of the CWCB and DWR and also provide a general
framework for data management, modeling, analysis, and dissemination of information. The Flood DSS
prototype described in this document recognizes the framework of CDSS and, as much as possible, was
implemented in a way that reuses CDSS components and data, extends CDSS with additional data and
capabilities, and allows for continued reuse and integration with CDSS components.
A Flood DSS was initially envisioned as an impetus to statewide digitization of FEMA (Federal
Emergency Management Agency) FIRMs (Flood Insurance Rate Maps), a goal that has since been
achieved in large degree through the State's document imaging program. Subsequently, the primary
focus of the Flood DSS prototype is to meet the needs of the following user types:
1. Provide a clearinghouse of flood- hazard information for use by a variety of users, including
developers, insurance industry, and government agencies.
2. Provide timely and well- organized flood outlook data products for the emergency managers (e.g.,
Flood Task Force),
3. Provide a clearinghouse of additional flood- related data, including weather modification, stream
restoration, levy /dam stability, etc.
The ability to utilize flood hazard and related information from different sources in a GIS environment, as
well as simultaneously access information from CWCB's Content Manager document system for
interpretation together with spatial information, will greatly facilitate data access, understanding,
interpretation, and can ultimately lead to better decision - making. The DSS prototype will demonstrate
this utility, and be helpful in garnering support to fully develop a statewide flood DSS.
The specific objectives of Flood DSS Prototype development were thus to:
1. Implement a Flood DSS web site prototype to organize and disseminate spatial data, via an
ArcIMS web site on a State web server, to demonstrate and allow for evaluation of the
clearinghouse concept.
2. Provide links between selected spatial and non - spatial data, to demonstrate functionality at a
prototype level.
3. Allow CWCB Flood Protection staff to evaluate the utility of an Internet map -based Flood DSS
prototype in order to consider implementation of a full scale Flood DSS.
Section 2 below provides a summary of the tasks for the project. Section 3 below provides a summary of
recommendations for a full scale Flood DSS.
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