ALAMOSA — The Alamosa County Board of Commissioners held a special meeting on September 5th to open bids for the upcoming Doppler Radar project.

This is the crucial next step in what has been a long process thus far. The San Luis Valley has long had a gap in forecasting due to the lack of a radar system being in place. In recent years, the need for establishing a radar system has been recognized by many across the Valley, particularly those in the water community.

Thanks to the participation of many organizations, this initiative is close to becoming reality. The organizations that have supported the project include the Rio Grande Watershed Emergency Action Coordination Team, the Colorado Water Conservation Board, the Rio Grande Water Conservation District, The San Luis Valley Water Conservancy District, and the Conejos Water Conservancy District.

The project will be overseen by Alamosa County with funding from the organizations listed above.

The first bid was opened by Commissioner Michael Yohn and the second was opened by Commissioner Darius Allen. There are only two bids that are currently under consideration.

The first proposal is from Doppler Radar Design for the amount of $1,416,424. The second proposal comes from EWR Radar Systems for the amount of $995,000. The bids have been turned over to Alamosa County Project Manager Larry Schreiner. Both proposals will be reviewed and a recommendation will be made.

The final decision is expected next Wednesday.