Colorado Water Conversation Board Division of Water Resources

• Year: 2001
• Title: South Platte Decision Support System Feasibility Study
• Author: Brown and Caldwell Camp Dresser & Mckee Inc Leonard Rice Consulting Water Engneers Inc Riverside Technology, Inc
• Description: South Platte Decision Support System Feasibility Study - Final Report
• Publications - Doc Type: Other

• Phase 2 is expected to require approximately two years and will focus on water budget
modeling, consumptive use modeling, enhancements to the groundwater model for the
Denver Basin and Overlying Alluvium Region, and surface water modeling. This phase
will begin after completion of Phase 1.
• Phase 3, the final phase, is expected to require approximately three years and will include
final surface water modeling and development of a groundwater model for the Lower
South Platte Alluvium Region.
As described above, Phase 1 allows basic water resources data to be developed, reviewed and
disseminated to the public before any significant modeling occurs. In addition, it allows cost
effective water administration activities to be implemented as quickly as possible. Phases 2 and
3 include the addition of various modeling tools that will utilize new and existing data in order to
perform the complex water resource analyses identified in the Needs Assessment in Chapter 2.
OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE
Operations and maintenance is important for any decision support system to ensure continued
use and applicability of the decision support system. Adequate operations and maintenance of
the SPDSS will benefit both the State and water users by helping to ensure up -to -date databases
and components which are applicable to resolution of future problems. Operation and
maintenance costs for the SPDSS have been estimated for the period during SPDSS development
and the post - development period. Estimated operation and maintenance costs required during
system development are included in the project costs outlined above.
The estimated operation and maintenance costs associated with the recommended Alternative 2
level of SPDSS after implementation is completed include a mixture of contract labor and three
full -time employees (FTEs) of the State of Colorado at an approximate cost of $420,000 per
year. The required full -time employees include:
• One water resource modeler to maintain and apply the consumptive use, water budget,
groundwater and surface water models. In addition this employee will be responsible for
conducting annual training sessions on key components of the system.
• One GIS and water resource modeling expert responsible for updating the irrigated
acreage data at a five -year frequency and assisting in the maintenance and application of
the consumptive use, water budget, groundwater and surface water models.
• One FTE responsible for (1) managing the observation and publication of the new
groundwater level monitoring stations, and (2) maintaining the Colorado Water
Administration Tool, database, network, personal computers and web site.
The existing operation and maintenance (O &M) programs associated with the Colorado and Rio
Grande decision support systems have been requested as a standard line item of the long bill
from the general fund. However, a legislative subcommittee has directed the operation and
maintenance of the existing DSS programs be paid approximately 50 percent from the general
fund and 50 percent from the CWCB construction fund. A request to fund 100 percent of the
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October 31, 2001