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IN REPLY REFER TO: <br />United States Department of the Interior <br />ES <br />Mail Stop 601020 <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE <br />Mountain- Prairie Region <br />MAILING ADDRESS: STREET LOCATION: <br />Post Office Box 25486 134 Union Blvd. <br />Denver Federal Center Lakewood, Colorado 80228 <br />Denver, Colorado 80225 <br />DEC 29 1994 <br />Mr. Jim Lochhead <br />Mr. Hal Simpson <br />Mr: 06ug Robotham <br />Colorado Department <br />of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman Street <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Dear Messrs. Lochhead, Simpson, and Robotham: <br />Q <br />A 31995 1 tj <br />I am grateful for the opportunity you provided the Fish and Wildlife Service <br />(Service) personnel to present the biological and hydrological bases for the <br />Service's Platte River target flows to representatives of Colorado water and <br />environmental communities on October 17. I would like to respond to the <br />preliminary questions and comments in your informal memorandum (enclosed) <br />dated November 16 regarding the Service's target flows for.the central Platte <br />River. <br />Response to Preface <br />Before addressing the specific, enumerated questions and comments in the <br />November 16 memorandum, I believe it is important to also respond to some of <br />the issues which preface your questions and comments. The purpose is not to <br />be argumentative, but rather to ensure that the policy, position, and <br />perspective of the Service are not misunderstood by the parties involved. <br />First, page 2 of your memorandum lists a number of reasons why a functional <br />relationship should not exist between depletive effects of water projects in <br />Colorado and conditions of aquatic habitats associated with the central Platte <br />River (downstream of Colorado depletions). The statements can be read as <br />arguments why the Colorado State Engineer should not administer water rights <br />in the upper portion of the South Platte River Basin to protect senior water <br />rights in the lower part of the basin and that the tenets of the South Platte <br />River Compact and the North Platte River Decree are superfluous. However, for <br />the reasons that the Service believes it is hydrologically reasonable and <br />appropriate for the Colorado State Engineer to administer water rights, the <br />Service also believes that depletions in Colorado cumulatively affect flows in <br />the South Platte and Platte Rivers downstream of Colorado. <br />Second, in regard to the topic of whether improved water management <br />practices can contribute to enhancing Platte River instream flows, I <br />disagree ". . . that the USFWS has postured the water - related dimensions of <br />