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Y <br />* <br />1.2 PROGR.AM DEVELOPMENT <br />In 1983, the issuance of a jeopardy biological opinion under Section 7 of the Endangererl Species <br />Act for the proposed Narrows Unit on the South Platte R.iver in Colorado led the Regional <br />Directors of the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) and the Bureau of Reclamation <br />(Reclamation) to initiate the Platte River Management Joint Study (Joint Study). In 1984, the <br />Secretary of the Interior was petitioned by water development interests in Colorado, Nebraska, <br />and Wyoming to be included in the 7oint Study process. The result was the establishment of the <br />Platte River Coordinating Committee made up of Regional Directors of the Service and <br />Reclamation and representatives from the States of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming. <br />Working groups of the Joint Study were made up of representatives from the Service, <br />Reclamation, U.S. Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environment Protection Agency, the States of <br />; and Wyoming, water development interests, and environmental <br />Colorado, Nebraska" <br />organizations. Each participated in the development of this program. <br />The States of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming play a key role in determining how the river <br />system's water resources are managed and have a corresponding interest in legal requirements <br />that could constrain water resource development. The States historically have been responsible <br />for management of fish and wildlife resources, including threatened or endangered species that <br />occur within their territories. <br />The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) is responsible for operations of nearly all the <br />federal reservoirs on the system (except Corps of Engineers' operation of some reservoir and <br />exclusive flood control pools in other reservoirs), ranging from large reservoirs that are used <br />to regulate deliveries in accordance with the interstate compact and U.S. Supreme Court decrees <br />to smaller reservoirs that were constructed to ensure a continuing supply of water for beneficial <br />use. In addition, all Federal agencies are responsible for the requirements of the Endangered <br />Species Act. <br />2