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<br />Memorandum to Rod Kuharich <br />August 21, 2002 <br /> <br />Page 2 <br /> <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. <br />