BOARD00466

• Board Meeting Date: 1/24/2001
• Description: CF Section - Non-Reimbursable Projects - CWCB Gaging Program for Monitoring and Data Collection Projects and DWR Satellite Monitoring System
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

aO!OradO Water Conservation Board
Department of Natura! Resources
1313 Sherman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX: [phone]
www.cwcb.state.co.us

Q

Bill Owens
Governor

MEMORANDUM

Greg E. Walcher
Executive Director

To:

Colorado Water Conservation CWCB Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCB Director

From:

Dan Merriman
Jeff Baessler

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Date:

January 16,2001

Re:

Agellda Item 13a 'January 24-25, 2000, CWCR Meeting
Water Supply Planning and Finance - Non.Reimbursable Projects
CWeR Gaging Program for Monitorillg & Data Collection Projects and
DWR Satellite Monitoring System,

entroduction

The CWCB is in the process of developing a long range gaging program that will address specific agency related
needs such as flood forecasting and warning, instream flow monitoring, compact protection, and Decision Support
System data collection efforts. An appropriarion of $175,000 is being sought from the Construction Fund fOI' a variety of
specific projects to begin this program in FY 01.02, In addition, the Division of Water Resources (DWR) is requesting
$398,000 from the Construction Fund to continue the operational viability of the state satellite monitoring system, A
total appropriation of $573,000 will be required for these combined efforts,

Background

As the CWeB's progranunatic responsibilities have matured, it has become evident that gaging needs are not
always addressed through the existing network of gaging stations operated by the DWR and rhe United States Geological
Survey (USGS), The CWCB's mission with respect to floods, stream and lake protection and compact protection as well
as data collection needs for Decision Support Systems is often different from those of the DWR and USGS. Although
many existing gages provide needed data, the DWR's mission is to administer the state's water rights, while the USGS
collects data for long. term scientific record purposes, As a result, gages are not always located where the CWCB needs
them to be or are designed to fit our data collection needs, However, due to staffing limitations, the CWCB still works
cooperatively with the DWR and the USGS to expand, refurbish, redesign, and create new gageS as well as develop
cooperative data collection projects that meet the needs of all three agencies and other stakeholder interests,

During the past two years, the CWCB has utilized a portion of available Severance Tax Operational Account
mouies to funu some of its gaging needs, However, the CWCB' s responsibilities affect areas throughout Colorado
.

Ftood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Scream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning