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Clearly, the allocation of the waters of the North Platte depends cru- cially on the definition of "natural flow." In Nebraska v. Wyoming, natural flow was defined as "all water in the stream except that which comes from storage releases." The distinction between natural flow water and storage water parallels the distinction found in the water law of some Western States (including Nebraska and Wyoming) between diversion rights and storage rights. For the purposes of this decree, natural flow is determined by measuring actual streamflow below Guernsey Dam, making adjustments for storage water releases into the North Platte from dams upstream. It is important to emphasize that "natural flow" bears no relation to "virgin flow;" in fact, natural flow measurements reflect depletions from all upstream diversions. Accordingly, a decree allocating water on the basis of natural flow would offer scant protection to downstream users unless there were some limit on upstream diversions. In Nebraska v. Wyoming, the limit is provided by the clauses in the decree that spec ify the maximum acreage that can be irrigated by diversions upstream in Colorado and Wyoming. Nebraska had sought unsuccessfully to have the waters of the Laramie in- cluded in the 1945 decree. Because the state had not been a participant in the earlier agreement and because some Nebraska rights were senior to some Wyoming and Colorado rights supplied from the Laramie, Nebraska had felt en- titled to a share of the Laramie. In a way, the Grayrocks Case offered Nebraska another chance to redress this situation. Blocking the construction of the dam would, it was hoped, prevent the further reduction of water flowing into Nebraska, protecting the property of existing water users in Nebraska and perhaps permitting further water resource development in the state. Nebraska's objectives thus coincided with those of the environmental groups involved insofar as the use of water in Wyoming was concerned, but with~ in Nebraska their aims are entirely different. Nebraska is a development- oriented state, within which there is strong sentiment for using the water for agricultural, municipal, or industrial purposes. In fact, like most Western States, Nebraska does not consider instream uses of water for fish and wildlife to be a beneficial use. Earlier, it was pointed out how much opposition there was within Nebraska to the whooping crane critical habitat designation, indi- cating that concern for whoopers takes second place to economic growth. Thus, the partnership between the environmental groups and the state of Nebraska was one of convenience, not conviction. 47