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r covery Program ulesburg R~servoir 11 t I I I I I.~'.\'i.\fillg I !>(/.fill ~_ "'._---- ., '\ ---, l.i7.!eJln:l/J1/J{.ctioll FJXII1'tltl'd pfllld ~ jor mimuJ"U: stlldi,'x \ !!!!!! " (,'rolllldu'(/ur , l"f'fflnIJlou' : ....a CJl/,/'/" ...... /W.I'l1l !.GIrer I/(lsil/ ----e o/d'wdl Tamarack Demonstration Project J .ollllet . uAl.r --l'ipl'IiIlO from the recellt IlcgO(j;HiollS <lnd may sue the USF\X'S ovcr (he proposed plan. O{h- L'l"S, including SOI11(' individual water users and water organization.'i in all three stares, have lllisgiving.~ <thoU( being in the process but feel the)' win Illore than they lose with the progralll. Alan Berryman, NCWCI)'s Head of Engineering and one or Colorado's nego- tiawrs wmml'd it liP, "It's been an arduolls process, bllt we feci the Cooperative Agree- ment is in the hest interests of dH' state and provides an opporfunity f(H regulatory cenaimy fill" \.vater users in Colorado." \X!hilc no funding cOlllmitments have been made, Governor Romer has pledged to work with tilt' Colorado legislature [0 pursue funding sources f(lr such a pro- gram. He has specifIcally asked DNR to conduct public meetings to receive addi- tional input 011 the proposed agreement. The meetings are telllativdy scheduled for the week of June ~ at sl'verallocatiotls rhrougholH the South Platte Basin. b Key elements of Platte River Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement The Agreement provides for: . Significant investment in wildlife and habitat conservation. The three states and DOl will invest $75 million in land and water managemcllt over a 15- year period ro benefIt habitat associated w"ith the four endangered species. This will include ["eregulating river flows from times of surplus into critical time periods t()I' the species and protection and acqui- sition ofland necessary to suppon and improve habitat for these species. . Regulatory certainty and reduced permitting and litigation costs for water supply agencies throughout the Platte River Basin. Existing and Ilew \vater projects throughout the Platte River B;lsin will receive expedited ESA n:vlCw when under- ~ ~'Li~K:-'''''."" ~ "".,....,'l':;.., """, ~, ""} ~ -. ~). gOlllg federal per- mitting. The USFWS \\'i1l rdy on the proposed hasi n-wide program when determining lllitigation reqlliremcllts of individual water supply projects. ..,; . Time frames within which to achieve specific actions. During thc tlnee-ycar initial period, the proposed program will undcrgo required federal review pursuant to the National Envi- ronmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the ESA. I f the program remains acceptable to the parties after this review, it will be implemented in increments, the first of which will be from I () to 13 years in duration. . Specific obligations from each of the states and federal government to protect 10,000 acres ofIand and to improve flow conditions by an average of 130,000-150,000 acre feet per year. Costs would be split 50/50 between the federal government and the stares. Col~ orado's obligations arc estimated at $300,000 per year for the first three years to help supporr the NEPA review process and develop strategies to secure additional water for the program. In addition, rhe state would plan and develop the "I amarack flow reregulation plan estimated to cost $4.2 mil- lion over 15 yeo-us, con- ~'.-:.... ~.:4' trib- ure anothel $9.9 million in cash 10 help fund additional water conservation and sup- ply projects and land protection in the critical habitat, and provide the means to mitigate depletions from future water developments in the South Plane Basin in Colorado. These mitigation require- ments wil! be tied to populatioll increas- es in Colorado. The North Platte Basin in Colorado will have the nexr three years of the Cooperarive Agreement to determine how future depletions in that basin will be handled. b WATERNEWS SPRING 1997 0