Report on the Platte River Basin, Nebraska Level B Study

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M indicated. More detailed studies must be accom- plished prior to implementation of individual pro- jects and programs to reconfirm justification under then current conditions. The study focus is on the period 10 to 25 years in the future, but problems and needs are analyzed to the year 2020. It was possible to analyze and include only those local projects and programs which are so well established as to make possible an estimate of their future scope. Land conservation treatment is an example. Generally, the developing programs of the Natural Resources Districts are not included in the study. No district activity which could be identified during the conduct of the study was of major indi- vidual significance or even susceptible to influence by study recommendation. The aggregate effort of NRD programs will, beyond doubt, be significant to Nebraska's future, but the direction and the scope of their impact is impossible to judge today. The program is still developing, there is disparity in the concerns of the several boards, and consistent operating district philosophies have yet to evolve. Rather than attempt to guess at possible future aggregations of effort, the study attempted to shape that effort through recommended modifications in existing law and policy. The projects and programs included in the plan are identified and recommended for further action by individual federal, state, or local entities. Area of Study The area included in the study is the entire Platte River drainage, including all tributaries, located within the State of Nebraska. It comprises 40,760 square miles which is approximately 53 percent of the state. The basin was divided into four subbasins because of diverse physical and development char- acteristics. This simplified analysis and allowed an approach to needs and problems on a regional basis. The study area showing the four subbasins — Elkhorn, Loup, Upper Platte, and Lower Platte — is delineated on Figure 1.