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. . . SECTION 5 of the bill is to initiate first year funding for the design of a Rio Grande Decision Support System. A contractor has recently completed a feasibility study under the guidance of a technical advisory committee (TAC). Significant savings in design costs will be realized due to our work on the Colorado River Decision Support System. However the extensive groundwater component in the Rio Grande basin will require a significant expenditure for collection of new data. The project is estimated to cost up to $5.0 million over 3 years including $3.5 million for data collection and $1.5 million for design. The CWCB initially recommended an appropriation of up to $1,500,000 during FY98-99 to the Division of Water Resources and the CWCB to collect data, manage the design of the system, develop the necessary databases, models, and user tools, and to acquire, operate, and maintain the associated hardware and software. The CWCB and Division of Water Resources will continue to rely upon the T AC in these efforts. At their January meeting, the Board recommended the first year's appropriation be increased to $2,000,000 based upon the recommendation of the TAC. SECTION 6 of the bill is an appropriation for continued maintenance of the Satellite Monitoring System. The Board recommends up to $120,000 be appropriated to the State Engineer to continue systematic renovation of stream gaging stations and replace "data collection platforms" in the statewide satellite monitoring system. This system gathers streamflow data from selected gaging stations and makes it available to water supply managers and other interested parties. This request is for the fifth year of a ten year replacement program. SECTION 7 is an additional appropriation to continue the Arkansas River well measurement program. As a result of the litigation with Kansas in the Arkansas River basin, a controversy has arisen between the states concerning the proper technique to measure well pumping. Kansas' position is that only "totalizing flow meters" are appropriate. Colorado's position is that the "power consumption coefficient (pCC) method" is appropriate in certain situations and should be used since it is more efficient and less costly. The State Engineer, the Division Engineer and most well owners prefer the PCC method. In order to provide information to the Special Master in K.n.a. v C.olorndo on which to base this recommendation, Colorado offered to have the USGS evaluate both methods in the Arkansas River basin and report on the suitability of the PCC method for determining pumping. taking into consideration how the pumping is assigned to user groups within the Hydrologic-Institutional Model. The study is being done tlrrough the USGS Cooperative Program, and is expected to take at least two years to complete. $50,000 was appropriated last year which included $25,000 for our share of the first year study costs and $25,000 to purchase and install meters on randomly selected wells. The CWCB recommends an additional $75,000 be appropriated this year to complete the study. 5