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- 00;- -'-' 00\)018 . . 6-evz,~ J ~ k ( Colorado Department of Natural Resources Colorado River Compact Decision Support System Status Report for the Infonnation Management Commission March 26, 1992 Background The State of Colorado needs to develop an accessible and efficient Decision Support Systen (DSS) to fonnulate and evaluate both intrastate and interstate water policy, and to better manage and administer Colorado River water within the state. Recent developments between the seven states which comprise the Colorado River basin have highlighted the urgent need for Colorado to have the capability to develop credible and confidential infonnation and analysis for potential litigation against attempts by any of the other states to reopen the Colorado River Compact. The ~ issues on the Colorado River that the State is addressing are critical, and the outcome depends on using the best infonnation and tools available. c The Colorado Water Conservation Board's (CWCB) annual appropriations bill authorizes loans and grants for certain water resource projects. The Board reviewed projects at their January 22, 1992 meeting after the Department's last meeting with the IMC on January 18, 1992. At their January meeting, the Board approved the staff recommendation to include the first steps towards defining the scope of work for development of a DSS. The CWCB's annual appropriations bill was introduced as SB 92-87 and includes the following language which summarizes well the urgent need to develop a Colorado River Compact DSS: "In order to assure that the state of Colorado protects its allocation of interstate waters for current and future beneficial purposes, to achieve optimum development of such waters under significant constraints imposed by federal law and policy, and to achieve efficient and effective management of river systems for recognized beneficial purposes, the Board is authorized to expend such monies as may be allocated, appropriated, or otherwise credited to the CWCB Construction Fund for such projects and programs as may be specifically authorized by the General Assembly, including but not limited to development of river basin models within and without the state, policy formulation, interstate negotiations, and water management within the state." Request for Funds The Department of Natural Resources and its divisions, the Colorado Water Conservation Board and the Division of Water Resources, want to spend $452,000 from the Construction Fund to define the development of a comprehensive DSS for the Colorado River Compact. A breakdown of the request, which is a consensus approach developed with input and approval from water users, is as follows: