Three States Cooperative Agreement

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STATE OF COLORADO Colorado Water Conservation Board Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman Street, Room 721 Denver, Colorado 80203 Phone: (303) 866-3441 FAX: (303) 866-4474 9 Bill Owens MEMORANDUM Governor Greg E.Walcher Executive Director To: Dick Stenzel, Jim Hall, John Lochhead necer H. Eva,S CWCB D'uectar From: Riek Brown, Platte River Coordinator, CWCB Dan McAuliffe Deputy Director Date: July 2, 1999 Re: Three States Cooperative Agreement for the Platte River; Inforrnation for the Reservoir Coordinating Committee As you know Colorado entered into a Cooperative Agreement (CA) with Nebraska, Wyoming and the Department of Interior (DOI) in July 1997. The focus of the CA is to improve habitat and flow conditions along the central Platte River in Nebraska (roughly between Lexington and Chapman). The hope is that by improving habitat and modifying flow, four threatened and endangered species (Whooping Crane, Piping Plover, Interior Least Tern, and Pallid Sturgeon) will receive a benefit. Under the CA the States and DOI have been asked to establish a Reservoir Coordinating Committee (RCC). Randy Seaholm and I have been asked to participate on this committee. The purpose of the RCC is to exchange information regarding reservoir operations and, when possible, coordinate reservoir operations to provide a benefit to the species. The RCC will also work with several other committees including the Environmental Account Committee. The Environmental Account Committee provides recommendations on how water stored in the Lake McConaughy environmental account (account can contain up to 200,000 acre-feet but will likely range around 100,000 acre-feet) should be used. Colorado has been asked to provide information on projected South Platte flows so that the RCC can combine this information with projected North Platte flows, endangered species needs, and environmental account releases to provide decision makers with good information. This will allow them to make informed decisions on how to store and release water, both from reservoirs and the environmental account, in a manner that will provide the species the most benefit. The current thinking is that we will make preliminary estimates in November of each year. Refinement to these estimates will be made in mid to late April as necessary. Each state is also going to provide a list of where relevant information can be accessed (i.e., web sites, monthly/yearly reports etc.). I have prepared the following list of what I think is some of the relevant information we should provide the RCC, and I am hoping you can help me compile this information. Please feel free to make suggestions or deletions to the list. I have also included a few questions that I hope you can help answer.