BOARD00066 ‎(3)‎

• Board Meeting Date: 11/13/2006
• Description: CWCB Stream Gage Fund and Division of Water Resources Satellite Monitoring Fund
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

Colorado Water Conservation Board

Department of Natura! Resources
1313 Sht'rman Street, Room 721
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone [phone]
FAX. [phone]
www.cwcb.srate.co.ns

MEMORANDUM

Bill Owens
Governor

Russell George
Executive Director

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

Rod Kuharich
CWCS Director

From:

Jetf Baessler, Stream and Lake Protection Section
Jack Byers. Division of Water Resources

Dan McAuliffe
Deputy Director

Date: October 30, 2006

Subject: Agenda Items Ita & lIb, November 13-15, 2006 Board Meeting-
CWCR Stream Gage Fund and Division of Water Resources Satellite Monitoring Fund.

Background

F or the past 5 years. the CWCB staff has requested approximately $250,000 per year from the
Construction Fund in order to address on-going stream gaging needs related to flood forecasting and
warning, instream flow monitoring, compact protection, and Decision Support System data collection
etforts. In addition, the Division of Water Resources has requested an annual appropriation of
approximately $300,000 for the continued operational viability of the State Satellite Monitoring System.
Another $50,000 has been requested by both agencies for development and support of the tlood-
hardening program. Each year, funding for these combined stream gaging programs has been reviewed
and approved by both the Finance Sub-committee and the Board. It has been recognized that it is
critical for both the State's water planning and water administrative agencies to support and maintain
state-of-art stream gaging programs and continue to provide accurate water resources data to support
multi-agency and water user needs. Furthermore, the operation of these combined gaging programs has
been consistent with the state's stream gaging and satellite monitoring systems as recognized in Section
37-60-121 and Section 37-80-102 C. R.S. The total funding for all three programs combined has
amounted to approximately $600.000 per year.

Objective

Rather than continue to apply for non-reimbursable Construction Fund dollars each year to support these
ongoing programs, eWCB and DWR staff would propose the establishment of two permanent but
separate funds. One fund would support the CWCB's comprehensive stream gaging program and one
would support the DWR satellite monitoring program. Flood hardening, which is jointly managed by
both the DWR and CWCB, would be funded as a component under the satellite monitoring program.
Both funds would be authorized and refreshed each year from the Construction Fund.

Flood Protection. Water Project Planning allll Financing. Stream and Lake Protection
Water Supply Protection. Conservation Planning