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Governance Committee Negotiating Team Meeting <br />Apri15-6, 2005 <br />Renaissance Hotel, Denver <br />EIS/BO Update <br />Curt Brown provided an update on continuing work between the EIS Team and the States. Most <br />of the information needed from Nebraska was received. One of the final pieces will be the <br />details from COHYST which are expected in mid-April. Curt will relay to Nebraska at this <br />meeting what exactly is still needed. There was discussion regarding how Nebraska is planning <br />to track depletions. Jim Cook noted that they will look at depletions within four reaches. It was <br />suggested that an OPSTUDY model could be used to determine relative impact of depletions on <br />target flows if this is not being done within COHYST. Don Kraus noted that it is part of the <br />current modeling exercise being performed. Concern was raised that the analysis was going into <br />too great of detail. <br />Wyoming will address comments regarding the issue of water leasing, or more correctly a <br />temporary use permit, in Wyoming. It was noted that this is likely not going to be a big issue in <br />Wyoming due to costs, tracking, and yield and this should be reflected as such in the EIS. <br />Wyoming will redraft a comment letter sent to the EIS Team and clarify this point. Colorado <br />stated that they have drafted language for the North Platte Depletions Plan but need to finalize it <br />before sending to the EIS Team. <br />Depletions Plan <br />John Lawson reported that he has been waiting to send the plans to the WMC for a technical <br />review as Nebraska is still working on some of the details within their plan. John will send the <br />Federal Plan, Colorado North Platte Plan, and Wyoming Plan this week and will send the <br />Nebraska Plan as soon as it is ready. John asked for confirmation that there are not any <br />remaining large policy issues or "show-stoppers" with the plans. It was noted that Wyoming and <br />Nebraska are continuing to work on policy issues but that the plans could still be reviewed for <br />the technical issues (e.g., tracking portion of the Wyoming Plan). There was discussion <br />regarding the concerns that Nebraska has with Wyoming's Plan. It was suggested that one <br />solution may be to release the replacement water at different times of the year so that <br />downstream users have an opportunity to utilize the water instead of releasing all water in the <br />non-irrigation season. <br />Mark Butler stated that there are a number of small federal depletions expected over the coming <br />years. The DOI would like to have some mechanism to offset these depletions, up to a total of <br />1,000 af, similar to what the states have (e.g., some portion of the Water Plan projects). The <br />states indicated that they would work with the DOI on providing this offset water. There was <br />discussion regarding how the USFS vegetation management is captured in the federal depletions <br />plan. It was noted that there may have been some depositions given recently have impact this <br />issue. The DOI will investigate and report back at the next meeting. <br />FWCA <br />Curt and Mark reported that they need to analyze the preferred alternative on non-ESA species <br />and coordinate with the state agencies with management responsibility for those species. A draft