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• Board Meeting Date: 7/22/2009
• Description: WSP Section - Platte River Program - Water Obligation Issues
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

certain issues that are peculiar to the North Platte basin because that future depletions plan is
n has certain baselines for
agricultural use, municipal use, industrial use, and piscatorial, env ironmental , and wildlife uses.
As described below , we are proposing changing the future depletions plan to allow depletions
(regardless of the use) as long as the overall baseline is not exceeded . The MOU includes certain
provisions regarding support by the State and SPWRAP for protection of the Nort h Platte
entitlement baseline provided for in the North Platte decree , during this increment and in
negotiation of subsequent increments . In addition, the MOU provides that the District has the
authority to review and authorize use of the overall baseline for individual industrial, piscatorial,
environmental, and wildlife purposes, should an entity seek to rely on the program for new
deple tions. Of course, any entity could choose to seek an individual consultatio n with the FWS
The MOU provides that the State
will continue to provide copies of report ing documents to the Distr ict. Of course, any individual
and any federal entity may seek an individ ual consultation with the FWS without relying on the
Program.

As described, in part, above. Colorado is seeking an amendment to its future depletions plan for
the North Platte River basin only. This proposed change was developed in order to help the
federal agencies meet its future depletion needs , but it has benefits for the North Platte water
users, and the State, as a whole
one - bucket c T he current North Platte future depletions plan has individual baselines for
different types of uses (municipal, industrial, etc.) . Th e refore the piscatorial, environmental,
wildlife, and industrial uses a that is, po st - 1997 depletions must be
replaced on a one - to - one basis. Th is new plan is modeled after the Wyoming plan where there is
one consumptive use entitlement for the entire basin, and as long as that baseline is not exceeded,
then the new use is covered under the Program. Colorado, SPWRAP, and the District all
flexibility to future water development opportunities within the North Platte basin under the
Program.

Water Action Plan
The Program has completed Phase I of the W ater Action Plan Study and has initiated Phase II
that should be complete by the end of the year . Phase I focused the Program on three water re -
regulations facilities in Nebraska near the habita t (J - 2 return, Johnson Reservoir expansion, and
Plu m Creek storage). Phase II is examining the feasibility of these three projects in more detail ,
and exploring each of the items originally listed in the Initial Water Action Plan Projects . Each
State was
proposal was additional recharge in the lower South Platte River for up to 17,000 acre - feet of
retimed water. The Governance Committee is required to adopt a final propose d Water Action
Plan by the end of year 3 of the first increment of the Program, which will be this December. As
we consider the various projects, Tamarack 3 has risen to the top of the list of projects to be
pursued in the Water Action Plan because of cos t, ease of implementation, feasibility, among
other reasons. There are a number of reasons why we ought to support keeping Tamarack 3 on
the top of the list but there are also some concerns that I would like to discuss with the Board at
the meeting and pr ior to finalization of this Water Action Plan.

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