<br />Memorandum to Rod Kuharich
<br />August 21, 2002
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<br />Page 2
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<br />repair and refurbish stream gages throughout the state. Refurbishment of the following stream gages Is .
<br />being accomplished with these funds:
<br />
<br />Kerber Breek near Villa Grove, CO
<br />Crooked Arroyo near Swink, CO
<br />Horse Creek at Highway 194 near Las Animas, CO
<br />Arkansas River near Catln, CO
<br />South Platte River near JUlesburg,CO
<br />Arkansas River at Rocky Ford, CO
<br />Purgatoire at Highland
<br />La Plata River (2 sites)
<br />
<br />$10,000
<br />$ 3,500
<br />$ 2,000
<br />$ 4,000
<br />$ 1 ,500
<br />$ 3,000
<br />$ 5,000
<br />$20,000
<br />
<br />Discussion ,
<br />DWR operates 316 data collection platforms (DCPs) on rivers, streams, reservoirs, ditches and canals to
<br />collect and transmit basic stream flow data for water adll'llnlstration, InclUding Interstate compacts, and
<br />flood flow alerts. Collectively, these platforms and the computer equipment In Denver are the Satellite-
<br />linked Monitoring System (SMS). The SMS provides basic water flow data to many public and private
<br />entities, such as the Cities of Colorado Springs and Aurora, the Denver Water Board, the Arkansas River
<br />Compact Commission, Emergency Coordinators for most Colorado counties, water rights users, fishermen,
<br />rafters and the staffs of the Division of Water Resources 'and Colorado Water Conservation Board. Other
<br />projects, such as Decision Support Systems for the Colorado River and Rio Grande, Dam Safety
<br />monitoring programs and the results of Interstate compact disputes (Arkansas River litigation) rely heavily
<br />upon the basic data collected and transmitted by the SMa.
<br />
<br />The Satellite-linked Monitoring System (SMS) has been operating since 1985, starting with 82 linked
<br />gaging statlons,then 150, and, as the need for the data Ihcreased, the SMS has expanded to 316 sites.
<br />Over the last 15 years, in excess of five million dollars has been spent to develop the infrastructure of the .
<br />SMS. The USGS and other entities operate an additional 300+ sites in Colorado. The USGS and DWR
<br />are working .to Improve data availability and reduce dupliq:atlon through improved gaging station '
<br />effectiveness. All of these sites are monitored by the SM,S and the data is Included In databases of real-
<br />time stream flow. The real-time stream flow data collecteld by this system Is vital to the operations of
<br />several water resource entities. These include: Denver Water Board, City of Aurora, City of Colorado
<br />Springs, Arkansas River Compact Commission, Emerge~cy Coordinators for many Colorado Counties, US
<br />Bureau of Reclamation. Many programs of the DWR, su~h as the Dam Safety Program, Colorado River
<br />Deeisien-Suflflefl-System..and-tl1e'Rje-Graflde-GeG/slen~ppefl-System,and.\jaFiou&-rivel'-eperatiefls
<br />spreadsheets used by the seven Division Engineers for water administration were built to rely upon the
<br />real-time data acquired through the SMS. Water resourc~s accounting programs utilizing the SMS Include
<br />the Dolores Project, the Colorado-Big Thompson Project ~nd the Frylngpan-Arkansas River Project. Also
<br />CWCB programs, such as Stream and Lake Protection, Rlood Protection and Water Supply Protection
<br />utilize the real-time data. '
<br />
<br />ReDlacement of Satellite Telemetrv EaulDment
<br />
<br />DWR requests $248,000 for replacement of 35 out-dated iDCPs and associated satellite telemetry
<br />equipment and upgrading satellite transmission compone'l1ts. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
<br />Administration (NOAA) operates the satellite via which we relay the water flow data to the cel1tral computer
<br />In Denver. The use of this satellite and all the ancillary hardware and software, Including staffing, Is valued
<br />at $430 million doilarsand Is provided to the State of Colqrado at no charge. The worldwide use of the '
<br />satellite has Increased to the point that, In the future, mor$ data will be transmitted more often. NOAA has,
<br />therefore, mandated that ail DCPs using the satellite for data transmission must be upgraded to transmit at
<br />a faster rate within the next nine years. Many of the DCP~ that DWR operates cannot be upgraded. The
<br />useful life of the equipment averages ten years. Therefore, in order to continue using the present system .
<br />to collect and transmit basic stream flow data, all sets of electronic equipment must be replaced over the
<br />next ten years. Since DWR operates 316 total sets of D~P equipment this equates to an average of thirty-
<br />two replacements per year.
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