Colorado Weather Stations Operation and Maintenance | BOR UC 17 N015

Opportunity Information: Apply for BOR UC 17 N015

The Colorado Weather Stations Operation and Maintenance opportunity is a Bureau of Reclamation discretionary grant focused on keeping a set of Upper Colorado River Basin climate and weather stations running to a consistent, defensible standard so their data can be used in agricultural water-use analysis. The work is tied to a multi-state effort led by the Upper Colorado River Commission (UCRC) and the four Upper Division states (Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming) to improve estimates of consumptive use from irrigated agriculture. Earlier phases of a basinwide study on agricultural consumptive use recommended formally identifying and supporting specific weather stations (both existing and newly installed) as part of an Upper Basin Climate Network, since the station data are an important input for ongoing consumptive use calculation methods and related water management studies.

At its core, the grant funds ongoing operations, maintenance, and data management for the network so the stations remain reliable and the measurements stay comparable across locations and over time. The scope emphasizes adherence to the American Society of Civil Engineers standards for evapotranspiration and weather station practices (ASCE-EWRI 2005). The contractor is expected to operate and maintain stations consistent with these standards, including using telemetry or remote connections that enable frequent review of sensor outputs. If the daily review shows a significant issue, the expectation is that a site visit will be scheduled and the problem corrected within seven days. The award also requires that the contractor be able to provide written maintenance procedures and maintenance logs when requested, which signals an emphasis on transparency, repeatability, and auditability.

Sensor accuracy and long-term consistency are treated as essential requirements rather than optional best practices. Each station's sensors must be calibrated or at least checked against appropriate standards on an annual basis, again following ASCE-EWRI 2005 guidance. As with maintenance, the recipient must be prepared to supply documentation describing calibration procedures and to provide calibration records upon request. This is meant to protect the integrity of the data set so it can support technical studies and comparisons over multiple years without questions about drift, undocumented sensor swaps, or inconsistent field practices.

The opportunity also places heavy weight on turning raw station measurements into usable, trusted information for decision-makers. The contractor must conduct routine quality assurance and quality control on the collected data, with checks performed daily or every other day. Beyond internal QA/QC, the recipient must serve or host the final processed data through a website accessible to key stakeholders, at minimum including the four Upper Division states, the UCRC, and the Bureau of Reclamation. The intent is that all users can obtain the data in a consistent format, supporting basinwide studies and reducing duplication of effort or conflicting versions of the same station record. The recipient is also expected to provide documentation of processing procedures and the processing code upon request, reinforcing that the data pipeline should be well-documented and reproducible.

Administratively, the grant is identified as Funding Opportunity Number BOR UC 17 N015 under CFDA 15.560 (now commonly referenced through Assistance Listings). The eligible applicants are public and state-controlled institutions of higher education. The agency is the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation. The posting lists an award ceiling of $123,752 and anticipates a single award. The opportunity was created on August 3, 2017, with an original closing date of August 17, 2017. Overall, the funding is designed to sustain a standardized, quality-controlled climate data stream that supports consumptive use estimation for irrigated lands and the broader water management needs of the Upper Colorado River Basin.

• The Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation in the natural resources sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "Colorado Weather Stations Operation and Maintenance" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 15.560.
• This funding opportunity was created on Aug 03, 2017.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Aug 17, 2017. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $123,752.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Public and State controlled institutions of higher education.

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