Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement & Water Action Plan

• File Number: 8561.550
• Description: Water Advisory Committee & Water Advisory Planning
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Author: Kent Holsinger, Rick Brown, Randy Seaholm
• Title: Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement & Water Action Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Correspondence

MEMORANDUM
To: Colorado Water Conservation Board
From: Rick Brown, Platte River Coordinator, Interstate Streams Investigation
Randy Seaholm, Chief, Interstate Streams Investigation
Date: May 16, 2000
Subject: Agenda Item 16.d. (2), May 22-23, 2000 Board Meeting. Platte River
Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement. Status of Cooperative
Agreement and Negotiation of a Long-Term Agreement
1. Introduction
In 1997 the Governors of the states of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming signed an agreement
with the Department of Interior to improve and/or study the habitat of four endangered species in
the Central Platte River in Nebraska. The proposed program has three components: water, land,
and monitoring and research. This memorandum will highlight the status of the negotiations and
summarize some of the key activities of several of the Cooperative Agreement (CA) Coininittees.
II. Status of Negotiations
As mentioned in the previous Board Memorandum negotiations of a long-term agreement could
begin as early as January 2001. Colorado's willingness to enter into negotiations is of coarse
contingent on the acceptability of the proposed program elements, and the outcome of the
National Environmental Policy Act evaluation process.
III. Status of Cooperative Agreement Activities
Over the last several months much of our attention has been focused on the development of a
Water Action Plan [(see Board Memorandum Agenda Item 16.d. (1)]. In addition to this effort
many of the other committees and subcommittees have made good progress toward completing
their individual tasks. A brief summary of the status of some of the important activities is
provided below
The Water Management Committee is continuing to focus on how to define "new program
water", and how program water will be protected to and through the critical habitat. Each
state also needs to complete an outline of their future depletions plans. Colorado is fortunate
in that we have completed our plan for the South Platte. We will need to finalize our North
Platte Plan and have it approved by the Governance Committee. Wyoming and Nebraska still
have quite a bit of work ahead of them.
• The Land Committee has made significant progress toward completing their assigned tasks.
Several important issues still need to be resolved including; the make up of the land advisory