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<br />
<br />which are not always in areas affected by the minerals and mining industries, In addition, the CWCR needs to develop its
<br />own gaging program to address program specific missions,
<br />
<br />[n November 1999, the DWR requested $235,000 from the Construction Fund for the FY OO-DI Satellite .
<br />Monitoring System, This request was for the seventh year of a ten.year program to replace 150 Data Collection
<br />Platforms (DCPs), Each year since 1993, the construction fund paid for 15 sets of electronic equipment and provided
<br />$35,000 for gaging station refurbishment, at a total cost of $120,000, The rcquested increase in 1999 resulted from an
<br />expanded system that now encompasses approximately 300 DC?s at various locations throughout the state, In addition,
<br />new technology, which will ultimately increase reliability and real time data transmission rates, requires the DWR to
<br />upgrade its older outdated DC?s over the next 10 yeUl's, Eventually, these older DCPs wilJ not meet the requirements
<br />imposed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) which operates the satellite used by the
<br />DWR,
<br />
<br />At its November 1999 Boal'd Meeting, the CWCB did not approve a $235,000 funding request by DWR and
<br />instead requested the General Assembly to authorize $120,000 to be appropriated for the SatelJite Monitoring System
<br />from the General Fund, This was the same funding amount that had been approved in the prcvious seven years, The
<br />Board was reluctant to approve the requested increase until alternatives to providing for the increased costs could be
<br />further researched, It was also suggested that this important program be funded rhrough a legislative appropriation from
<br />the Long Bill.
<br />
<br />In June 2000, the DWR prepared a decision item with support from the CWCB to fund the DWR Satellite
<br />Monitoring System using General Funds, Unfortunately, the Department of Natural Resources was unable to givc the
<br />proposed decision item a high priority and instructed the eWCB-and DWR to work cooperatively and seek funding for
<br />the improvements through the annual Projects Bill,
<br />
<br />Discussion
<br />
<br />The CWeB's proposed Gaging Program is cUlTently under development. It is a collaborative effort between the.
<br />Board's Flood Protection section, Stream and Lake protection section and Water Supply protection seclion, as well as the
<br />DWR, USGS and other stakeholders, To develop the program, each section will need to address a variety of issues and
<br />develop long term goals, Following is a section-by-section breakdown of issues and goals that will be addressed in the
<br />development of a unified five year gaging plan:
<br />
<br />Flo04 Protection Proeiam
<br />
<br />. Identify gages that should be "flood hardened" so floodplain' warning systems, forecasting, and long.term hydrologic
<br />records can remain in tact during high flow events,
<br />
<br />· Develop construction, equipment, and operating criteria for flood hardening gages,
<br />
<br />· Identify areas that would benefit from the development of new flood warning systems and coordinate with local
<br />communities to develop, operate and maintain systems that will result in savings to life and property,
<br />
<br />Stream and Lake Protection
<br />
<br />. Develop a process to identify streams where instream flow rights are likely to be senior enough to impact
<br />administration of water rights and a prioritization of those streams to determine gaging needs for efficient
<br />administration,
<br />
<br />. Develop construction, equipment, and operating criteria for gages related to low flow and winter measUl'ements that
<br />are affected by icing conditions, .
<br />
<br />Flood Protection. Water Project Planning and Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
<br />Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning
<br />
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