Final Environmental Impact Statement Volume II Appendix K, Part 2

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00 0 COMMENTS OF U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RESPONSES TO U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY 19 EPA -30 Monitoring to be conducted or financed by the Districts as part of the Cooperative Agreement (see response to EPA comment 24) EPA -30 6. monitoring Program and modifications to License Conditions will be integrated into the monitoring program to be established as • Current designation - Priority 1 part of the basin -wide recovery program. Priorities and • Recommendation - agree with current designation; the monitoring plan needs to address: methodologies for monitoring will be established by FWS in the • The effectiveness of modifications to the existing flow context of basin -wide recovery. As the recovery program will control regime on the principal resource values of the focus on federally listed species, the staff believes that the Platte River (i.e., irrigation, fish and wildlife protection, hydropower generation, and recreation) ; concerns identified by EPA in their comment will be • The identification and implementation of a scheme to appropriately addressed. Because the monitoring program and the measure the effects of implementing a water conservation plan on the projects' operations, including any procedures management of project releases for instream resources will be to account for new water conserved and ground water use; conducted using an adaptive management approach, it is not likely • obtaining an accurate calibration of the hydrological that the hydrological model will be further refined; instead, model used for assessment of the alternatives and selection of the licensed operating regime. Accurate model different flow regimes will be effected, their success determined. calibration will be important if a need for a reassessment of resource protection achieved or adjustment of operational and modifications implemented if necessary . flows is identified after implementation, but within the license period; EPA -31 The staff has revised its recommendations in light of the basin- * Specific variables and targets for such variables (e.g., flow rates, instream temperatures or dissolved oxygen wide Cooperative Agreement. We endorse the various measures levels) should be established for the appropriate times of the year that they are applicable; and comprising the FWS Reasonable and Prudent Alternative, as • Indirect variables, whereby the effects (benefits) of the described in the Agreement in Principle for License Conditions for particular combination of flows and water quality of the Project Nos. 1417 and 1835. licensed operating regime would be measured by monitoring the status of the principal resources of concern (e.g., fishery populations, nesting habitat availability). See response to EPA -19. Your recommendation is reflected in the D. other measures RPA. Central will provide limited fencing of tern and plover EPA -31 1. Lake McConaughy Shoreline Use nesting sites along the shore of Lake McConaughy. • Current designation - Priority 1 • Recommendation - only maintain as Priority 1 the measure for Lake McConaughy shoreline use as it relates to tern EPA -32 Refer to the previous response. The Districts will continue to and plover nesting sites. If this measure does not relate to terns and plovers, reduce to Priority 3. participate in public education programs such as eagle viewing; EPA -32 2. Public Education Program building an improved visitor center will not be a license condition. 1 • Current designation - Priority 1 • Recommendation - Reduce to Priority 4 19