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CRDSS <br />TASK MEMORANDUM 1.15-6 <br />Water Rights Planning Model <br />Review of U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Program OPSTUDY <br />1.0 ISSUE <br />The purpose of this task memorandum is to generally describe the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's <br />(USBR) OPSTUDY computer program and to summarize the model's functionality related to the <br />CRDSS project based upon the Level One decision criteria presented in CRDSS Task Memorandum <br />1.15-2. In order for the USBR's OPSTUDY program to be considered as a feasible candidate for the <br />CRDSS water rights planning model, it must satisfactorily meet the requirements of the evaluation <br />criteria. <br />2.0 DISCUSSION/ANALYSIS <br />Mr. Lyle Myler of the USBR's Wyoming Area Office has experience using the OPSTUDY model <br />and provided an overview of how the model operates. Fundamental ly, the OPSTUDY model <br />functions as a data input and output manager. The model has no core code for water rights <br />operations and only provides a standardized framework for handling input and output data. The <br />model user must write the core code, which is unique to the river basin being modeled. In order to <br />model any river basin, specific and unique computer code would need to be developed. The <br />OPSTUDY program does provide some standardized subroutines such as a simple inflow/outflow <br />operation of a reservoir, which can be added as part of the core code. The model does not provide <br />standardized subroutines to model multiple ownerships in reservoirs, water rights allocation and <br />administration, and water rights exchanges. <br />The OPSTUDY program has been incorporated into several river basin models, including several <br />models developed for the North Platte River Basin in Wyoming and western Nebraska (N orth P latte <br />R iver W ater U tilization M odel); however, unique core code was written specifically for these <br />applications, and the transfer of these models to other river basins would not be practical. <br />3.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS <br />The OPSTUDY program in itself does not provide core code for modeling a priority allocation of <br />water rights, reservoir operation and accounting (including multiple accounts), and water right <br />exchanges which are fundamental requirements for the CRDSS water rights planning model. It is <br />concluded and recommended that the USBR's OPSTUDY program be eliminated from further <br />consideration for the CRDSS project because the model fails to satisfy the functionality requirements <br />of a water rights planning model. <br />1 <br />A275 05.10.94 1.15-6 Fosha, Hyre <br />