Colorado Water Conversation Board Division of Water Resources

Home Browse Search

• A visual data browser to display GIS coverages • A web -based database interface to allow Internet users access to the DSS database The main components are supported by DMIs that take data from the database and reformat it for models and specific data products, such as GIS coverages and river network diagrams. The entire systems for the CRDSS and the RGDSS are documented and are accessible via the Internet. 1.4.4.2 Modifications May be Required for the SPDSS. As indicated above, an objective of this Feasibility Study is to ensure that the tools developed for CRDSS and RGDSS are used to the extent possible in SPDSS in order to improve the cost - effectiveness of SPDSS tool development and future CDSS maintenance. This should be possible in large measure because the CRDSS and the RGDSS were developed as data - centered decision support systems and, consequently, it should be possible with few or minimal changes to utilize many of the components of the CRDSS, and the more recent RGDSS, in development of the SPDSS. There are, however, important differences between the South Platte River, Colorado River, and the Rio Grande basins that will require modification of some of the components from the CRDSS and RGDSS before application in the SPDSS. Paramount among these differences is the much larger population in the South Platte River basin. Population data for 1999 indicate the counties composing the Rio Grande basin have a population of 48,173, while the counties composing the South Platte River basin have 2,855,181 (Colorado Department of Local Affairs 2001). This difference in population provides indication of the greater competition for municipal and industrial water supply from both groundwater and surface water sources in the South Platte River basin. 1.5 LIST OF KEY REPORTS AND INDIVIDUALS INTERVIEWED Throughout the Feasibility Study, efforts were made to maximize the use of previous reports and existing data to help define the SPDSS needs. A literature search was performed for publications and databases relevant to the study, including those available from the State of Colorado, Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District, Denver Water, Groundwater Appropriators for the South Platte, Colorado State University and the United States Geological Survey. The most relevant publications were obtained and reviewed. A list of publications reviewed is presented in references sections within each chapter. Personal and telephone interviews were held from September 2000 to February 2001 with key South Platte River basin water users and managers in order to gather information about the water user needs for a DSS in the South Platte River basin. This process resulted in 35 entities (72 individuals) being interviewed for the Feasibility Study. These meetings and contacts are listed in Table A -1 of Appendix A. In addition, three SPDSS Advisory Committee meetings were held in Loveland, Fort Morgan, and Denver, Colorado. SPDSS Advisory Committee members are listed in Table A -2 of Appendix A. The results of these meetings and interviews are discussed further in Chapter 2, Needs Assessment. p:data \gen\spdss\fina1 report \chapter Ldoc 1 -11 October 31, 2001