Laserfiche WebLink
• PRRIP — ED OFFICE DRAFT 6 04/06/2010 <br />300 Wednesday, March 10, 2010 <br />301 <br />302 Welcome and Introduction <br />303 Lawson called the meeting to order and the group proceeded with a roll call. <br />304 <br />305 Re- regulating Reservoir Agreement <br />306 Kenny presented an agreement between CNPPID and PRRIP concerning feasibility analysis of <br />'107 C NPPrn rerev„latinu reservoirs_ The agreement provides a framework for advancing the J -2 <br />308 Return/Elwood regulating reservoir(s) through full feasibility. The agreement outlines <br />309 responsibilities, future steps, and commits CNPPID to contributing $30,000 toward the analysis. <br />310 The agreement will terminate on June 30, 2011 or completion of the feasibility studies, <br />311 whichever occurs sooner. Purcell moved to approve the agreement and Kowalski seconded. The <br />312 motion was approved with Kraus abstaining. <br />313 <br />314 2009 Tiered Platte River Biological Opinions <br />315 Rabbe provided a summary of 2009 tiered United States Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) <br />316 Section 7 consultations for projects seeking ESA coverage for water - related activities through <br />317 the PRRIP. 24 consultations were completed in 2009. Eighteen were in Colorado, two in <br />318 Nebraska and four in Wyoming. The Service also worked with the State of Colorado to develop <br />319 a memorandum of understanding (MOA) outlining how federal depletions will be handled <br />320 consistently with Colorado's depletions plan. The Service is also working with other federal <br />•321 agencies and the State of Wyoming to develop similar MOAs. <br />322 <br />323 Lower Platte River Stage Change Study <br />324 Engelbert and Pegg gave a presentation on the results of the Lower Platte Stage Change Study <br />325 performed for the Program by HDR in association with TetraTech and the University of <br />326 Nebraska at Lincoln (UNL). In general, the hydrologic analysis, hydraulic modeling, and habitat <br />327 classification work conducted for the study indicated that Program diversions or retiming of <br />328 flows in the central Platte would likely not have a negative impact on pallid sturgeon in the lower <br />329 Platte River. Relative change in lower Platte habitat for pallid sturgeon would be very small to <br />330 undetectable and thus these changes should not provide additional stress to the population. <br />331 Impacts could occur if Program diversions occur during times of extremely low flow in the lower <br />332 Platte and the impacts would likely be in the form of reduced lateral channel connectivity, <br />333 although Pegg noted that longitudinal connectivity was maintained even at these low flows. <br />334 Those impacts could be avoided by monitoring flows in the lower Platte and not diverting or <br />335 retiming flows when lower Platte flows fall below approximately 4,000 cfs. <br />336 <br />337 Purcell asked if pallid sturgeon use the lower Platte. Pegg indicated that approximately 70 pallid <br />338 sturgeon were caught on the lower Platte last year during an ongoing shovelnose sturgeon <br />339 research project. Three of the pallid sturgeon were caught above the mouth of the Elkhorn River. <br />340 Czaplewski asked what the Program's next step will be regarding the pallid sturgeon. Kenny <br />341 explained that the Program committed to performing a literature review, stage- change study, and <br />342 conducting water quality monitoring in the lower Platte. Those items have been completed and <br />• This document is a draft based on one person's notes of the meeting. The official meeting minutes may be different if corrections are <br />made by the Governance Committee before approval. <br />PRRIP GC Meeting Minutes Page 8 of 11 <br />