Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitats

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throughout the Platte River Basin. The budget should also have the capacity for is use in helping to design and evaluate more specific methods of quantifying the net amount of water that will be saved or provided to the associated habitats by each proposed water conservation/supply measure. This information should be useable in any feasibility analyses that might be conducted on water conservation/supply measures and recommendations that emerge from the Reconnaissance Study. Upon completion, the study will be submitted to the Governance Committee and Water Management Committee for evaluation. With guidance from the Governance Committee, the Water Management Committee will determine a process for the development of a Water Conservation/Supply Action Plan. This process may involve the use of the consulting firm retained to conduct the Reconnaissance Study, the initiation of a new competitive bid process to select another consulting firm, or other advisable measures. B. Water Conservation /Supply Action Plan Within 30 months of the signing of the Cooperative Agreement, the consultant will provide to the Governance Committee and the Water Management Committee a recommendation for a Water Conservation/Supply Action Plan incorporating water conservation/supply alternatives identified in the is Reconnaissance Study which are feasible and consistent with attainment of the goals of the program. Measures included in the plan will be economically feasible and environmentally sound. The Action Plan shall, at a minimum, identify: • specific projects and timetables for implementation of projects designed to achieve Program objectives. The recommended action plan will include a reasonable timetable for implementation of the alternatives necessary to achieve the objectives of the first increment of the proposed Program or any other agreed to Program. If that recommended timetable for project and program implementation would not be complete within the first nine years of a Program, the consultant shall explain why a longer time frame is needed. The Governance Committee will establish the timetable for implementation after reviewing such recommendations and after consulting with the Water Management Committee. The parties realize and agree that the benefits of the projects may not materialize until several years after implementation is initiated and completed; • monitoring and accounting methods to be used to assess the effectiveness of programs as they are implemented; • 4