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Estimating Additional W'ater Yield From Changes in Manageme:nt of <br />National Fore,>ts in the North Platte Basin <br />C.A. Troendle & J.M. Nankervis <br />The Platte River EIS is exainining alternative approaches to improving river <br />flows in the Central Platte Fuve;r for four threatened and endangered species <br />(target species). Many difi:erent approaches to increasing basin stor;age of <br />waters, management of waters, and retiming of river flows are being <br />examined. Among the altei:natives suggested during the scoping proc;ess is <br />the concept of increasing the timber harvest on National Forests in the <br />headwaters of the Platte River as a means of augmenting the water supply. <br />This study is undertaken tci provide a reconnaissance-level analysis of the <br />water yield that might be expected from such an action. <br />In order for increased runo:Ef fi-om the National Forest to lead to improved <br />Central Platte River flows for the target species, some fraction of the <br />additional flows must be captuxed and allocated to the Recovery Pragram. <br />The most likely means for tl:us xs capture and storage in a Federally operated <br />reservoir. Due to the numt>er of Federal reservoirs on the North Platte, as <br />well as their relative proximity -to the North Platte headwaters, it appears that <br />focusing this study on the T1orth Platte forests is a good test of the viability ., , <br />of this concept. <br />C)BJECTIVES <br />Based on the Statement of tiVork, the objectives of this effort can be <br />summarized as follows: <br />1) Review the current state of the art lrnowledge on the effects of forest and <br />forest disturbance on viater yield from the central Rocky Moi.uitain <br />Region. <br />2) Based on information .provided by the U.S. Forest Service for the <br />Medicine Bow, Routt, and Roosevelt National Forests; trends in forest <br />stand condition, from 1860 to present, will be described and hydrologic <br />simulation will be used to model the affects of those stand projections, or <br />trends, on water yield from Forest Service lands in the North Platte River <br />Basin.