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J <br />0 <br />A <br />To Platte River Project Participants <br />\June 3, 1994 <br />\ Page 2 <br />question and answer session, the USFWS /NBS panel was allowed <br />to ask questions first. If any time remained, other experts <br />could ask questions of the expert making the presentation. If <br />further time remained, observers were allowed to submit <br />questions in writing, and the written questions would be asked <br />of the experts. No verbal exchange between observers and <br />experts was allowed. The meeting was video taped. <br />MEETING NOTES AND SUMMARY <br />I am providing a copy of my meeting notes (enclosed). The <br />notes, I believe, are detailed enough to provide the substance <br />of the discussion and the recommendations that were made by <br />each of the experts, as well as the expert's response to <br />significant questions that were raised following the <br />presentation. Some of the experts provided some quantitative <br />recommendations (O'Brien, Lyons and Randle, Johnson, Currier) <br />regarding either pulse or peak flows. Others provided <br />discussions and more general recommendations related to flow <br />needs (Wesche /Hensezy, Siebert, Simons). Hutchinson (Nebraska <br />Game and Parks Commission, Fisheries Division) did not discuss <br />pulse or peak flows, but did present the Commission's <br />recommendations for whooping crane flows, wet meadows flows, <br />and fisheries flows in the Platte River. These <br />recommendations have been used to file for instream flows in <br />Nebraska. A summary of the quantitative recommendations is <br />provided on Table 1 on the following page. <br />OBSERVATIONS AND COMMENT <br />1. Two of the experts (O'Brien and Simons) suggested that <br />limits should be placed on use of North Platte River water to <br />meet spring flow requirements. These suggestions were based <br />on 1) limited channel capacity of the North Platte, 2) <br />increased flows from the North Platte River could result in <br />channel incision on the Platte River due to lack of sediment <br />supplies in the North Platte River, and 3) need to maintain <br />sediment inflow from the South Platte system. This <br />information could be used by USFWS as additional rationale for <br />restricting spring flow depletions in the South Platte Basin. <br />2. The quality and depth of the information with respect to <br />sediment transport, wet meadows biology, wet meadows surface <br />and groundwater relationships, and vegetation control appears <br />to have improved substantially, as compared to that which was <br />available to the Platte River Management Joint Study only a <br />