The Platte River Project

• Description: Comments of the Platte River Project on the Platte River Program Draft EIS
• State: CO
• State: NE
• State: WY
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 9/20/2004
• Author: Platte River EIS Office ‎(PL -100)‎
• Title: Comments of the Platte River Project on the Platte River Program Draft EIS
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

Comment# of the Platte River Project on the
Platte Ri r Recovery Implementation Program DEIS
changeslThe mid -1800s were a period of extreme drought followed by a wet period in the early
1900s. fhe river channel configuration and land use cover used in the DEIS do not reflect a
"baselin condition," as the geomorphology and land cover were reacting to dramatic climatic
shifts arid the impact of settlers moving west.
he summary of river trend and fluvial processes does not adequately take into account
the natu al variability of the system and does not present sufficient data to support its hypotheses
and con lusions. For example, there is no description of the presence and configuration of "sand
bar habi at." No data is presented describing historic versus current trends in the frequency,
distribu 'on, size, and elevation of sand bars. A more qualitative analysis is appropriate where
there
at 2 -1).
have of
river an
chapter
and the
the incr
Forests,
USDA
from th
time wl
year the
Impact
22,200
previou
Troend
Forests
decreas
greater
uncertainties, lack of quantitative data, and system variability.
The DEIS fails to adequately disclose and analyze the effects of Federal
forest and vegetation management actions.
A. DEIS Chapter 2: History of Habitat Use and Habitat Trends for the
Target Species.
iapter 2 of the DEIS describes, among other topics, "how changes in the river and
ng area have altered the available habitat" for the four listed species in question (DEIS
Special attention is given to describing how settlement and development of the Basin
-ted riverflows and sediment transport, which, in turn, have affected the key aspects of
riverine habitat used by the target species." (DEIS at 2 -12.) The remainder of the
)cuses almost exclusively on the extent of water supply development for human use,
Tects of such development upon river flows and, in turn, upon the Central Platte River
bsent from the entire chapter is any discussion of the loss of historical water yield from
ased density of forests located in the basin, chiefly on lands now reserved as National
While the total extent of such water depletions may be a matter of some uncertainty, the
orest Service has retained consultants who most recently estimated these depletions
North Platte River basin alone at an average of 166,000 acre -feet per year between the
en the National Forests tributary to that drainage were created (ca. 1900) and 1997, the
Platte Cooperative Agreement was signed. [Charles A. Troendle et al., Final Report, The
f Forest Service Activities on the Stream Flow Regime in the Platte River, p. 10 (May
(2003 Troendle Report)]. This figure is a slight downward estimate of depletions
ly calculated by some of the same consultants while retained by the USBR. [Charles A.
et al., Estimating Additional Water Yield from Changes in Management of National
n the North Platte Basin at 43 -44 (May 12, 2000) (2000 Troendle Report) (calculating "a
of 185,000 acre -feet or more of water from 1. 107,000 acres of NFS land," which "is
han that estimated to have occurred using existing stream flow records ")].
-12-