Estimating Additional Water Yield From Changes in Management of National Forests in the North Platte Basin

• Description: An Independent Report Prepared for the Platte River EIS Office U.S. Department of the Interior Related to 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: 5/12/2000
• Author: Charles A. Troendle, Matcom Corporation & James M. Nankervis, Blue Mountain Consultants
• Title: Estimating Additional Water Yield from Changes in Management of Ntional Forests in the North Platte Bains, Final Report
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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Estimating Additional Water Yield From Changes in Management of
National Forests in the North Platte Basin
C.A. Troendle & J.M. Nankervis
The Platte River EIS is examining alternative approaches to improving river
flows in the Central Platte River for four threatened and endangered species
(target species). Many different approaches to increasing basin storage of
waters, management of waters, and retiming of river flows are being
examined. Among the alternatives suggested during the scoping process is
the concept of increasing the timber harvest on National Forests in the
headwaters of the Platte River as a means of augmenting the water supply.
This study is undertaken to provide a reconnaissance - level analysis of the
J water yield that might be expected from such an action.
In order for increased runoff from the National Forest to lead to improved
River flows for the target species, Central Platte g p , some fraction of the
additional flows must be captured and allocated to the Recovery Program.
The most likely means for this is capture and storage in a Federally operated
reservoir. Due to the number of Federal reservoirs on the North Platte, as
well as their relative proximity to the North Platte headwaters, it appears that
focusing this study on the North Platte forests is a good test of the viability
of this concept.
OBJECTIVES
Based on the Statement of Work, the objectives of this effort can be
summarized as follows:
1) Review the current state of the art knowledge on the effects of forest and
forest disturbance on water yield from the central Rocky Mountain
Region.
2) Based on information provided by the U.S. Forest Service for the
Medicine Bow, Routt, and Roosevelt National Forests; trends in forest
stand condition, from 1860 to present, will be described and hydrologic
simulation will be used to model the affects of those stand projections, or
trends, on water yield from Forest Service lands in the North Platte River
Basin.
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