Here's a story from the Billings Gazette with details about a new plan for managing flows in the Platte river. The North Platte and South Platte both start in Colorado and then come together in Nebraska to form the Platte.
From the article, "A plan to accommodate both endangered species and the growing number of cities and farmers tapping the Platte River was released Tuesday with recommendations that water flows be increased and land set aside for wildlife. The final environmental impact statement represents years of legal wrangling and negotiations among the three states the Platte flows through: Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska...
"Curt Brown of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation said the plan is intended to ensure there's adequate water and habitat for four species of threatened and endangered birds and fish while looking out for the water users. This is an endangered species recovery implementation program. 'There's been a loss of habitat in the central Platte Valley over the last 150 years,' said Brown, the environmental study's manager. The Platte River in central Nebraska is a major stop for migrating whooping cranes and home to the piping plover, least tern and pallid sturgeon. They're all considered threatened or endangered species. Biologists estimate whooping cranes numbered from 500 to 1,300 in the area in the mid-1800s, plummeted to fewer than 20 in the 1940s and rebounded to 215 by last February. The Platte's two branches start in the Colorado mountains, flow through Wyoming and Colorado, and merge in Nebraska. With its 15 major dams and reservoirs, the river supplies water to about 3.5 million people, irrigates farms, generates electricity through hydropower plants and provides recreation and wildlife habitat...
"Dan Luecke, a consultant for the National Wildlife Federation, is a member of the panel of state and federal wildlife and water managers and environmentalists that wrote the recommended alternative and will oversee the plan's implementation. He said environmentalists see the plan as a big move forward even if the proposed water flows aren't as much as they would like. If the habitat doesn't improve and more water is eventually needed, Luecke said water users might have to buy more or conserve more water...
"Colorado Agriculture Commissioner Don Ament said without a basinwide program, agencies or individuals needing federal permits or funds for water projects would have to come up with their own plans for protecting endangered species."
There is a lot of detail about the agreement in this report from U.S. Newswire. From the article, "The FEIS presents four alternatives for how to manage land and water resources to meet goals for protecting the endangered whooping crane, interior least tern, and the pallid sturgeon, as well as the threatened piping plover. However, the 'Governance Committee' alternative is the Preferred Alternative for implementing the Program and includes several important features:
"-- Voluntary: The Program will acquire water, land, and other interests only from willing buyers and sellers.
"-- Incremental: The Program will accomplish its goals in 13-year increments, ensuring gradual change, the ability to assess impacts, and adjust measures accordingly.
"-- Streamlined Endangered Species Act (ESA) Compliance: Currently, any proposed development project that might impact one or more of these species must undergo individual review for compliance with the ESA. The Program will allow multiple projects to be considered at the same time for ESA compliance, saving time and money while providing improved habitat for the imperiled species.
"-- Smart Water Management: The Program will make the most of what water is available in the Platte by re-timing water flows.
"-- Depletion Management: The Program will allow for future water use, finding ways to offset such use to maintain minimum flows critical for fish and wildlife.
"-- Shared Costs: The federal government will pay half the cost of the Program, with Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado sharing the other half."
The Denver Post adds this coverage of the agreement. They write, "The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation on Tuesday released a plan to balance demands among Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming over the Platte River - the drinking water supply for more than 3 million people. The plan calls for increased flows on the Platte and more land set aside for wildlife in Nebraska. It also attempts to deal with needs of the growing cities along the river, agricultural irrigation, and four threatened or endangered species...
"Dams and other water diversions have narrowed the river's channels over time, making it more difficult for the species to survive. The final environmental impact statement - which took nine years to complete - recommends acquiring at least 10,000 acres in central Nebraska for wildlife habitat and increasing flows in the Platte at key times by 130,000 acre-feet to 150,000 acre-feet...
"Colorado's contribution to the plan won't require river users to curtail their consumption, said Curt Brown, the bureau's plan manager. Instead, excess flows in the winter time would be pumped and stored into recharge areas, he said...
"The plan will cost an estimated $317.3 million, with $157 million coming from the federal government and the rest from the states. Colorado expects to pay $24 million for its share. The final plan must be approved by the secretary of the Interior and the governors of the three states. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service also must issue a biological opinion, which is expected in June."
Here's a short article about the agreement from the Casper Star Tribune. They write, "The final version of a plan to manage Platte River flows for endangered species conservation hit the streets Tuesday. But with more than 500 pages to wade through, Wyoming officials had yet to uncover exactly what impacts the final environmental impact statement will have on state irrigators, fisheries, reservoirs and recreationists."
Here's Volume 1, Volume 2 and a summary of the report. Thanks to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership for the links.
Category: Colorado Water
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