1991 North Platte Hydrology Study

• Description: related to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• State: CO
• State: NE
• State: WY
• Basin: North Platte
• Water Division: 6
• Date: 9/28/1990
• Author: U. S. Bureau of Reclamation, North Platte River Projects, Mills, WY
• Title: Plan of Study for Evaluation of Operation of Existing Reclamation Projects on the Platte River for the Potential to Affect Threatened or Endangered Species
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Plan of Study
for the
Evaluation of the Effects of Platte River Operations
On Threatened and Endangered Species
September 28, 1990
The Setting
The study area includes the entire Platte River drainage including the North
and South Platte rivers from Reclamation facilities downstream tb the
confluence of the main Platte River with the Missouri River. Reclamation
operates three projects on the North Platte River (Kendrick Project, North
Plea River Project, and two units of the Fa l:man Missouri Basin Program).
These facilities provide water to about 440,000 -acres of farmland in the North
Platte Basin, produce hydroelectric power, and also provide other benefits
such as flood control, recreation, fish and wildlife, and municipal and
industrial water supplies. There is no Reclamation on- stream storage on the
South Platte River, but Reclamation does operate the Colorado -Big Thompson
PrOjoct in the South Platte Basin. Using water diverted from Colorado's West
Slope, this project supplies irrigation water to 720,000 -acres of farmland,
provides municipal water to 423,000 people in the basin, produces
hydroelectric power and other benefits such as recreation and fish and
wildlife.
The Purpose
the�Zndangered Species Act requires Federal agencies to. ensure
that their actions are not likely to jeopardize the continued existence of a
listed species or to adversely modify or destroy critical habitat. It also
requires agencies to carry out conservation programs for listed species. -
The purpose of this evaluation is to determine if the operations of Bureau" of
Reclamation (Reclamation) facilities in the Platte River Basin are in
compl pA9a .with the requirements of Section 7. If- tha atudy _Zev a.ale _ that
operations are adversel affecting listed specie •3r rh4kUtwb*r. formal
Q0D*V1 V. S. Fish & Wildlife Service (Service) would be
initiated, in accordance with the requirements of Section 7.
If the eavaluation leads to a.plan for changing operations and if that plan
constitutes. a .si.gaai f4.caat Sedaera -r- tlen, updKlance with th*,: Xational
Envirgnmantal Policy Act will be.zequired. This would entail the preparation a
of an environmental document and full public involvement.
This evaluation is not to be confused with the Platte River Management Joint
Study. That is an ongoing Federal /State study operating in cooperation with
many interests to develop and recommend habitat management plans for the
Pla *, %Lmor- wh-i:le wing, water development to proceed in the Platte River
Basin. However, information developed by the Platte River Management Joint
Study will be used in this evaluation.
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