Subcommittee on Water and Power Legislative Hearing H.R. 1462

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W. Briefing Paper Water and Power Subcommittee House Natural Resources Committee Legislative Hearing on H.R. 1462 (Udall -CO), "Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and Pathfinder Modification Authorization Act" 1324 Longworth HOB April 26, 2007 2pm Summary: The House Water and Power Subcommittee will hear testimony on H.R. 1462 (Udall of Colorado), which authorizes the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program and modifications to Pathfinder Dam on Thursday, April 26, 2007 at 2pm in 1324 Longworth House Office Building. The legislation authorizes the federal government to carry out activities related to protecting and restoring three endangered species (interior least tern, whooping crane and pallid sturgeon) and one threatened species (piping plover) on the Platte River and authorizes federal expenditures of $157.1 million to implement such activities. The bill is the result of a series of regulatory actions made under the authority of the Endangered Species Act that provided substantial water - use uncertainty and a subsequent Cooperative Agreement between the federal government and the States of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming aimed at restoring the listed species while providing for water use certainty. The Subcommittee will hear from two panels of witnesses. Background: The Platte River and Water Infrastructure Development The Platte River, a tributary of the Missouri River, is formed in western Nebraska at the confluence of the North and South Platte Rivers in western Nebraska (see picture below). The North Platte originates in Wyoming and far northern Colorado while the South Platte originates in the central Colorado portion of the eastern Rockies. The Platte played a very important role in westward expansion in the 19`" century. Historically, the central Platte River valley has been an important stopover for migratory birds in the Central Flyway.