Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
On July 1, 1997, the governors of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming and the
Secretary of the Interior entered into a Cooperative Agreement to address
the needs of four target species using the Platte River Basin: the
endangered whooping crane, interior least tern, and pallid sturgeon and the
threatened piping plover. The agreement proposed a framework for a long-term
recovery implementation program. A Governance Committee was formed,
consisting of representatives of the three basin states; the Bureau of
Reclamation; the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS); water users from each of
the three states; and environmental groups and negotiations regarding
details of the program took place from 1997 to 2006.
The Platte River Recovery Implementation Program
(Program) commenced in 2007 to utilize land, water, and scientific
monitoring and research to secure defined benefits for the target species
and their habitats in the central Platte River. The Program will also
provide Endangered Species Act (ESA) compliance for existing and certain new
water-related activities in the Platte basin upstream of the Loup River
confluence for potential effects on the target species; help prevent the
need to list more Platte River species under the ESA; mitigate the adverse
effects of certain new water-related activities through approved depletions
plans; and establish and maintain an organizational structure that will
ensure appropriate state and federal government and stakeholder involvement
in the Program.
The Program Water Plan
The Water Plan will address impacts of existing water-related activities by
providing water capable of reducing shortages to FWS target flows for the
Central Platte River. The Program First Increment (2007-2019) objective is
to provide water capable of reducing shortages to FWS recommended instream
flows by an average of 130,000 to 150,000 acre-feet per year. Approximately
80,000 acre-feet per year will be met with three initial projects:
Colorado's Tamarack I, Wyoming's Pathfinder Modification, and a Lake
McConaughy Environmental Account (EA). The EA is a portion of the water
stored in Lake McConaughy that is set aside and managed by the FWS for the
benefit of the target species. The remainder of the flow objective will be
met through a program of incentive-based water conservation and water supply
activities, implemented under the Water Action Plan. In addition to improved
flow conditions, small "pulse" flows in the spring are intended to create
vegetation-free sand bars suitable for plover and tern nesting. Flow
re-timing will be accomplished in part by releases from the Lake McConaughy
EA.
The impacts of new -related activities will be addressed by the three
states and by the federal government in accordance with each group's
depletions plan for offsetting new depletions to the Platte River that
occurred after July 1997.
More Information:
Please visit the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program website for
additional information:
http://platteriverprogram.org/
or contact Dr. Jerry Kenny, Program Executive Director:
kennyj@headwaterscorp.com