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summai y provides an outline of the procedures and methods Colorado will use to monitor <br />existing and new water related activities for the North Platte Basin and how mitigation measures <br />for endangered species issues might be implemented. <br />B. North Platte Decree <br />The decree in Nebraska v. Wyoming, 325 U.S. 589 (1945), modified, 345 U.S. 981 (1953) (the <br />Decree), and modified by the Final Settlement Stipulation, March 13, 2001 enjoins Colorado <br />from di erting water from the North Platte River and its tributaries for the irrigation of more than <br />a total c f 145,000 acres in Jackson county during any one irrigation season. The Decree also <br />enjoins olorado from storing more than 17,000 acre -feet of water for irrigation purposes from <br />the Nor h Platte River and it tributaries in Jackson County between October 1 of any year and <br />Septem er 30 of the following year. Finally, the Decree enjoins Colorado from exporting out of <br />the basi i of the North Platte River and its tributaries in Jackson County more than 60,000 acre - <br />feet of ater in any period of ten consecutive years. The Decree requires Colorado to prepare <br />and ma' ritain complete and accurate records of the total area of land irrigated and the storage and <br />exportal 'on of water and to make such records available for inspection. <br />C. ExiAtine Water Related Activities <br />In its 19 45 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court found that 131,800 acres were presently under <br />irrigation in Jackson County in Colorado. Since then the number of acres being irrigated in any <br />one yeat has been as high as 134,467. The Decree allows Colorado to irrigate up to 145,000 <br />acres. f or purposes of this Program, the parties to the Cooperative Agreement agree that <br />depleti s associated with the irrigation of up to 134,467 acres constitute existing uses and that <br />depleti s associated with the irrigation of between 134,468 and 145,000 acres in Jackson <br />County onstitute new water related activities. <br />The irrigation storage and export limits in the Decree also represent existing uses as of 1945, and <br />reflect t e Supreme Court's recognition that transbasin diversions in some years exceeded 6,000 <br />acre -fee . Since the limitations in the Decree represent historical uses in Jackson County, any, <br />depletio s within those limits constitute existing water uses. Storing more than 17,000 acre -feet <br />of water for irrigation purposes between October 1 of any year and September 30 of the <br />followir g year and exporting more than 60,000 acre -feet of water in any period of ten <br />consecu ive years are not permitted under the Decree, and, therefore, no new water related <br />activitie of these types are contemplated. <br />In addit n to existing uses in accordance with the Decree, Jackson County's small population <br />and limi ed industry consume a small quantity of water under prior existing rights. Colorado does <br />not anti ipate significant population growth in Jackson County during the term of the <br />M. <br />