BOARD00234

• Board Meeting Date: 7/23/2002
• Description: CWCB Director's Report
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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prudent to delay implementation of the feasibility study. In addition, the CWCB's current statewide
water supply plaooing effort, and the State Engineers proposed changes to the South Platte rules and
regulations also support delaying a feasibility study. Staff recommends that the current authorization
remain in place to allow coordination with other initiatives or to pursue the feasibility study if other
efforts are unsuccessful.

27. NOAA Uoper Colorado River Basin Streamflow Forecast Improvement Proiect
Authorization: SB 97-008 Grant Amount: $100,000
Water Source: Colorado River Project Type: Research
Location: Yampa, Colorado, and Gunnison Project Managers: Ray Alvarado /
River Basins Michelle Ganison

This project is a joint venture between two agencies of the National 'Oceanic and Atmospheric
Association (NOAA): the Climate Diagnostic Center (CDC) and the Colorado Basin River Forecast
Center (CBRFC). The CBRFC provides spring runoff forecasts (total spring runoff volume, rate and day
of peak flow) for all the major streams in the upper Colorado River basin. These forecasts are used
extensively by reservoir operators and other water managers to balance demand for water supply and
flood protection.

The CDC is a research agency focused on improving NOAA products to better meet public needs.
The agencies propose to improve the spring streamflow forecasts by using temperature forecasts for the
current year rather than historic data from many previous years. The CDC will update a temperature-forecast
,model and throughout the spring of 2003 will provide 0 - 14 day temperature forecasts to the CBRFC. The
CBRFC will use the temperature forecasts in their streamflow forecasting models and provide the new
streamflow forecasts on their website.

During the summer of 2003 both agencies will examine the results of the new temperature and
streamflow forecasts and quantifY the improvements. They will make recommendations for possible
further improvements and determine whether other river forecasting centers (such as the Missouri Basin
and West Gulf River Forecasting Centers, which provide streamflow forecasts for Eastern Colorado)
would benefit from adopting the new methods. The final report is expected in September 2003.

Some of this research will be done under existing programs at the CDC and CBRFC. Funding
requested from the CWCB is intended to pay for 1) the additional work required to apply the new
methods to specific basins within Colorado and 2) the evaluation of the success of the new methods and
possible application to other basins in Colorado.

28. Douglas County Water Authority S. Denver Metro Area Water Suoplv Studv
Authorization: HB 00-1419 Grant Amount: $100,000
Water Source: Denver Basin Aquifers Project Type: Water Supply Study
Location: Douglas County / S. Metro Area Managers: Randy Seaholm / Andy Moore

The Douglas County Water Resource Authority (DCWRA) is partnering with the Denver Water
Board and the Colorado River Water Conservation District to conduct a study of the water supply needs
of the southern portion of the Denver metropolitan area. The purpose of the study is to examine and
propose water supply strategies that meet the near-term and long-term water needs of Authority members
in a way that delays and minimizes the need to import additional water from the Colorado River Basin.
The study will review the recommendations in the Metropolitan Water Supply Investigation including
withdrawals from the Denver Basin Aquifer and conjunctive use of South Platte River water. The results
of this study should indicate the extent to which water supplies can be developed, first within the basin,
before reaching a cost threshold that might warrant development of additional water resources. The study

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