BOARD02036

• Board Meeting Date: 9/24/2001
• Description: CF Section - Investments - South Platte River Decision Support System Year 2
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

Operations and maintenance is important for any decision support system to ensl\re continl\ed use
and applicability of the decision support system. Adequate operations and mllintenance of the
SPDSS will benefit both the State and water users by helping to ensure up-to-date databases and
components which are applicable to resolution of future problems. Operation and maintenance
costs for the SPDSS have been estimated for the Deriod during SPDSS development and the post-
development period, Estimated operation and maintenance costs required during system
development are included in the project costs outlined above.

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Agenda item
September 24-25, 2001 meeting
Page 14 of 15

. Phase 1 is expected to require approximately two years and will focus on data collection e
and water administration tools, Certain data collection activities, such as groundwater
levels and streamflow gaging, will continue through and beyond SPDSS implementation,

. Phase 2 is expected to reql\ire approximately two years and will focus on water budget
modeling, consumptive use modeling, enhancements to the groundwater model for the
Denver Basin and Overlying Alluvium Region, and surface water modeling, This phase
will begin after completion of Phase 1.

. Phase 3, the final phase, is expected to require approximately three years and will include
final surface water modeling and develoDment of a groundwater model for the Lower
South Platte Alluvium Region,

As described above, Phase 1 allows basic water resources data to be developed, reviewed and
disseminated to the public before any significant modeling occurs, In addition, it allows cost
effective water administration activities to be implemented as quickly as possible, Phases 2 and
3 include the addition of various modeling tools that will utilize new and existing data in order to
perform the complex water resource analyses identified in the Needs Assessment in Chapter 2.

OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE

The estimated operation and maintenance costs associated with the recommended Alternative 2
level of SPDSS after implementation is completed include a mixture of contract labor and three
full-time employees (FTEs) of the State of Colorado at an approximate cost of $420,000 per year.
The required full-time employees include:

. One water resource modeler to maintain and apply the consumptive l\se, water budget,
groundwater and surface water models. In ad,dition this employee will be responsible for
conducting annual training sessions on key cqmponents of the system,

. One GIS and water resource modeling expert responsible for updating the irrigated
acreage data at a five-year frequency and aSSisting in the maintenance and application of
the consumptive use, water budget, groundwater and surface water models,

. One FTE responsible for (1) managing the observation and publication of the new
groundwater level monitoring stations, and (2) maintaining the Colorado Water ..
Administration Tool, database, network, personal computers and web site, ..