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Attachment 3 <br />PROPOSED PRIORITIZATION PLAN FOR <br />COOPERATIVELY FUNDED STREAMGAGES IN COLORADO <br />This prioritization plan is a proposed approach to prioritize the investment of USGS Federal Matching <br />Funds (FMF) available for the streamgaging network in Colorado. Development of this plan began in <br />2001, when an initial prioritization plan for streamgaging activities in Colorado was discussed during the <br />annual meeting with Data - Program Cooperators. The initial plan was based on concepts from the USGS <br />National Streamflow Information Program (NSIP) (http: / /water.usgs.gov /nsip /); considered the needs of <br />those interested in the water resources of Colorado; and was linked to the priorities of the USGS <br />Cooperative Water Program. At the annual Data - Program Cooperator Meetings in 2002 and 2003 there <br />was additional discussion about the initial plan, and during the 2003 meetings we discussed the high <br />likelihood of implementation of a prioritization plan for FY2005. <br />Since the 2003 meetings, we have refined the plan developed in 2001 by restating the prioritization goals <br />so they are directly related to the needs of the Colorado water - resources community while maintaining <br />their alignment with the NSIP goals and linkage to the priorities of the Cooperative Water Program. We <br />have also clearly defined what is needed to receive a specific point ranking for each goal, making the <br />application of the criteria more objective. The revised goals and prioritization criteria are attached. <br />As part of the proposed prioritization plan, each streamgage operated by the USGS in Colorado would be <br />ranked according to the attached criteria, and the sum of the points received by each streamgage would <br />be tabulated. Based on these point rankings, streamgages would be grouped into 3 or 4 categories based <br />on the sum of their point rankings. A ratio of FMF -to -total gage cost would be assigned to each category. <br />That ratio would be applied to each streamgage in that category to determine the amount of funding <br />provided by the USGS and the amount provided by the cooperator. <br />Because FY05 would be the first year that prioritization would be in effect, the proposed approach for <br />FY05 would likely have a small difference in the ratio of FMF -to -total gage cost between the lowest and <br />highest categories. The small difference in these ratios in FY05 would allow cooperators time to transition <br />to changes in their share of gage cost resulting from prioritization. However, depending on appropriations <br />for the Cooperative Water Program, the costs of streamgaging, and changes in the streamgaging <br />network, the difference in the ratios between the lowest and highest categories would likely broaden over <br />time. <br />