BOARD01360

• Board Meeting Date: 11/19/2001
• Description: CF Section - Non-Reimbursable Projects CWCB/DWR Satallite Monitoring System
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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Water Project Construction Program - Project Data

Applicant: Colorado Water Conservation Board and Division of Water Resources

Project Name: CWCB Gaging program for Project Type: Stream Gaging
monitoring and data collection projects and DWR
Satellite Linked Monitoring System ,

County: Statewide Drainage Basin: Water Source: N/A
Statewide Drainage Basins

Total Study Cost: $599,000

Funding Sources: CWCB

CWCB Investment: Interest Rate: N/A
$599,000

Term: N/A

This project entails the development and implementation ofa long-range plan to address the
gaging needs ofthe Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Division of Water Resources
(DWR).

As the state's primary water planning agency, the CWCB relies upon gages operated by the
DWR, United States Geological Survey (USGS) and private entities in order to meet the needs of
its mission critical program areas including Compact Protection, Decision Support System
Development, Floodplain Management and Stream and Lake Protection, However, CWCB
gaging needs are 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, stream gages are not
always located where the CWCB needs them, nor are they necessarily designed to fit CWCB
data collection parameters, This project will enable the CWCB to strengthen its cooperative
efforts with the DWR and USGS to expand, refurbish, redesign and create new gages as well as
develop new strategies to obtain data that will not only benefit the CWCB but statewide
stakeholder interests, Of the $599,000 requested, $295,000 will be utilized this year for the
implementation of specific CWCB gaging projects including flood hardening of critical gages,
new gaging methodology development, low flow monitoring, the development of new gages and
refurbishment of existing gages,

A key component of this program is the continued, long-term operational viability of the State
Satellite Linked Monitoring System, which is administered by the Division of Water Resources.
This system, which is comprised of over 300 satellite gaging stations, requires continued
renovation of existing gages, replacement of outdated data collection platforms and upgrades to
transmission components, In addition, many existing gaging stations need to be modified to
provide critical stream flow data for flood warning and low flow monitoring, Changes in
technology, which will ultimately increase reliability and real time data transmission rates will
require the DWR to upgrade the system over a 10 year period, The costs associated with the
continued refurbishment and operational viability of the system are currently estimated at
approximately $304,000 per year,