Volume I Biological Opinion

• Description: related to the Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(aka Platte River Recovery Implementation Program or PRRIP)‎
• State: NE
• Date: 7/1/1997
• Author: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Grand Island, Nebraska
• Title: Volume 1 - Biological Opinoin On the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission's Preferred Alternative for the Kingsley Dam Project ‎(No. 1417)‎ and North Platte/Keystone Dam Project ‎(No. 1835)‎
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Biological Opinion

Habitat Requirements and Importance of the Platte
River . .
. . 61
BALD EAGLE . . . . . . . . . .
PHYSICAL EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
62
Historical Perspective and Current Distribution .
. . . . .
. . 62
Habitat Requirements and Importance of the Platte
River . .
. . 63
ESKIMO CURLEW . . . . . . . . .
THE
64
Historical Perspective and Current Distribution .
. . . . .
. . 64
Habitat Requirements and Importance of the Platte
River . .
. . 64
PALLID STURGEON . . . . . . . . . .
ON
65
Historical Perspective and Current Distribution .
. . . . .
. . 65
Reasons for Species Decline . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . 66
Habitat Requirements and Importance of the Platte
River . .
. . 67
STURGEON CHUB . . . . . . . . .
BALD EAGLE AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . . . . .
68
Historical Perspective and Current Distribution .
. . . . .
. . 68
Habitat Requirements and Reasons for Decline . .
. . . . .
. . 69
Importance of the Platte River . . . . . . . . .
. . . . .
. . 69
ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70
Hydrological Baseline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71
EFFECTS OF THE PROPOSED FEDERAL ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 74
HYDROLOGIC
AND
PHYSICAL EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 75
EFFECTS
ON
THE
PLATTE RIVER SYSTEM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 76
EFFECTS
ON
THE
WHOOPING CRANE AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . . .
. . 79
EFFECTS
ON
THE
LEAST TERN AND PIPING PLOVER AND THEIR HABITAT . .
. . 84
EFFECTS
ON
THE
WESTERN PRAIRIE FRINGED ORCHID AND ITS HABITAT . .
. . 92
EFFECTS
ON
THE
AMERICAN BURYING BEETLE AND ITS HABITAT . . . . .
. . 93
EFFECTS
ON
THE
BALD EAGLE AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . 94
EFFECTS
ON
THE
ESKIMO CURLEW AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . . .
. . 95
EFFECTS
ON
THE
PALLID STURGEON AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . .
. . 95
EFFECTS
ON
THE
STURGEON CHUB AND ITS HABITAT . . . . . . . . . .
. . 98
CUMULATIVE EFFECTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
REASONABLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101
WATER MANAGEMENT . . . . . . 106
Reregulation Projects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Water Conservation Component . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 111
WILDLIFE HABITAT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
OTHER MEASURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
REOPENERS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
COMPARISON OF THE REASONABLE AND PRUDENT ALTERNATIVE
TO THE PROPOSED ACTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121
ii