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<br />onon41. <br /> <br />COLORADO RIVER COMPACT DEOSrON SUPPORT SYSTEM <br /> <br />Presentation to the Colorado Water Conservation Board <br />January 22, 1992 <br /> <br />Decision Su~mort System Concepts <br /> <br />A decision support system CDSS) can be defined as the use of computers to develop and <br />display information to improve decisions. The two main functions of a DSS are data <br />management and studying alternatives. These activities convert data or information into <br />knowledge that is useful in the decision-making process. The role of the DSS is to organize <br />the processing, the analysis, and delivery of information necessary for decision making. <br />The information necessary for decision making is the basis for the DSS. Consequently, <br />rather than focusing on a model or models, a DSS uses a data centered approach. <br /> <br />Decision support systems in water resources are being used today because of the <br />complexity of water resources systems and the technology gains in the areas of computer <br />hardware, software, and automated data collection systems. The three main components <br />of a water resources decision support system are: <br /> <br />1. A data subsystem <br />2. A models subsystem <br />3. A dialogue management interfacing subsystem <br /> <br />The data subsystem generally consists of data acquisition, management, and processing. <br />Typically the data includes hydrologic, water quality, meteorological, institutional, and <br />operations rules. Both the spatial and temporal aspects of these data must be characterized <br />in the data subsystem. <br /> <br />The models subsystem may include one or more models. Currently three categories of <br />models are recognized; statistical, simulation, and optimization. The analyses performed <br />by these models range from simple statistical computations to forecasting and planning. <br />Depending on the decisions to be supported by the DSS, the models in the models <br />subsystem may range from basin-wide to a specific tributary and from general hydrology <br />to water quality or water rights. <br /> <br />The dialogue management interfacing subsystem is an integral part of the other two <br />modules. This subsystem depends on the level of hardware and software available to <br />potential users. The present state-of-the-an is moving from what might be currently <br />classified as "user abusive" to "user friendly." A graphical user interface (GUI) such as "x- <br />Windows" running on a UNIX based workstation might be classified a simple dialogue <br />management interfacing subsystem. <br /> <br />The proposed Colorado River Compact DSS will address both interstate and intrastate <br />Colorado River issues. The main thrust of this DSS is to develop an infonnation and <br />