Research Protocol for Cottonwood Ranch (2)

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Research Protocol for Nebraska Public Power District's Cottonwood Ranch Property Prepared For: Technical Committee 3uly 10, 2000 Introduction The Platte River Endangered Species Partnership (PRESP) is developing a proposed Program that will undertake a number of management activities to modify both land and water to increase or improve habitat for least terns, piping plovers, and whooping cranes. As directed under the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) License for Project 1835, Article 407, Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) will provide to PRESP approximately 2,650 contiguous acres of land on the central Platte River between the J-2 Return and Elm Creek, known as the Cottonwood Ranch Property. This property will count towards the Program's first increment goal of 10,000 acres. A conceptual plan for development and enhancement of the Cottonwood Ranch Property was developed by NPPD in consultation with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), the Governance Committee and their representatives, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District (Central) and the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS). Development and enhancement of NPPD's Cottonwood Ranch Property is anticipated to begin in September or October 2000. NPPD's implementation of the Cottonwood Ranch Development and Enhancement Plan will help fulfill milestones L3-1, L 1-2 and L 1-3 of the Cooperative Agreement. The Development and Enhancement Plan is also consistent with the direction given in Section III.C.2 of the Proposed Program (e.g., restoration initially based on recommendations in the Platte River Management Joint Study). The major components of the Development and Enhancement Plan are to modify existing channel structure to improve nesting conditions for least terns and piping plovers and roosting habitat for whooping cranes. At this time the conceptual basis of the plan is to convert approximately 220 total acres of bottomland to produce active channel and nesting habitat as well as backwaters and sloughs. Purposes of the woodland removal are to improve unobstructed views within the channels and to promote channel widening. In addition, NPPD will excavate 70001inear feet of `pilot' channels in abandoned channels of accretion land. Pilot channels are intended to convey river flows and promote channel expansion by increasing the amount of bankline exposed to river erosion. The removal of channel bank vegetation on Cottonwood Ranch is intended to effect bank erosion and channel widening. Bank-stored sediment is, thus, expected to be reintroduced into the channel. Deposition of this material may occur downstream. The mechanics of river sediment transport processes need to be examined to determine the effects of channel management actions on bank erosion and sediment transport, and to detect and evaluate possible impacts of deposition.