Proposal for Monitoring and Research Demonstration (2)

Home Browse Search

Proposal for Monitoring and Research Demonstration Project on Nebraska Public Power District's Cottonwood Ranch Property. Submitted To: Finance Committee Governance Committee Prepared By: Technical Committee April 13, 2000 STATUS OF PROJECT: New Project LOCATION: Cottonwood Ranch Property, Platte River, Central Nebraska 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. The proposed Program will test the assumption that it is possible to improve pallid sturgeon habitat in the lower Platte River through flow management in the central Platte River as well as identify information gaps related to pallid sturgeon. The proposed Program will also help prevent the need to list additional species. Adaptive management strategies will be used to insure that program activities perform as expected. This demonstration project focuses on monitoring management activities initiated on Cottonwood Ranch and will assist in protocol development needed for monitoring. This Technical Committee proposal is comprised of three sections. The first section briefly describes the management activities to be funded and conducted by Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) on their Cottonwood Ranch Property. The second section is a proposed demonstration project that focuses on monitoring the management activities initiated on Cottonwood Ranch and will assist in protocol development needed for monitoring. The third section proposes a demonstration project that focuses on research and monitoriny of management activities conducted on Cottonwood Ranch. The third section will also assist in protocol development needed for monitoring, and will provide crucial evaluation of management activities that potentially will be widely used within the program. Section two (monitoring) as proposed is wholly funded by the Cooperative Agreement and proposed Program. Section three (monitoring and research) as proposed is funded jointly by the Cooperative Agreement/proposed Program and the USGS. SECTION 1. MANAGEMENT AND RESTORATION AT COTTONWOOD RANCH Following is a brief summary of the management activities to be conducted by NPPD at their Cottonwood Ranch Property. These activities will occur whether Section 2(monitoring) or Section 3(monitoring and research) axe funded by the Cooperative Agreement and Program. 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, Page 1 of 15