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FACTORS AFFECTING THE SPECIES WITHIN THE ACTION AREA <br />This analysis describes factors affecting the environment of the listed species in the action area. In <br />addition to the effects from factors associated with the past operations and maintenance of the Missouri <br />and Kansas River projects, the environmental baseline includes unrelated Federal actions that have <br />completed formal or informal consultation, as well as Federal actions within the action area that may <br />benefit listed species. The baseline also includes non - Federal (i.e., State, Tribal, local, and private) <br />actions already affecting the species or that will occur contemporaneously with this consultation. <br />The Service is not aware of any proposed Federal projects in the action area that have undergone <br />formal or early Section 7 consultation (50 CFR 402.11) on the tern, plover, pallid sturgeon, and/or bald <br />eagle whose hydrologic effects are not already incorporated into the baseline. <br />Formal consultations addressing the impacts of water development projects on terns, plovers, pallid <br />sturgeon, and whooping cranes have been abundant in the Platte River basin in Nebraska, Colorado, <br />and Wyoming. Since July 1, 1997, biological opinions have been completed on 14 projects with water <br />depletions greater than 25 acre -feet in the Platte River basin. In addition, a programmatic intra- Service <br />section 7 consultation was completed by the Service to consider water depletions of 25 acre -feet or <br />less on the Platte River. This biological opinion assumed jeopardy from 25 acre -feet or less depletions -'� <br />on least terns, piping plovers, and whooping cranes in the central Platte River, and the pallid sturgeon in <br />the lower Platte River. A reasonable and prudent alternative to offset impacts was provided in the <br />programmatic opinion. Additional projects may be evaluated in the future under this programmatic <br />biological opinion but any cumulative impacts should be offset by implementation of the reasonable and <br />prudent alternative. <br />Within the action area, a number of Federal, State, and private actions have various effects on the <br />Missouri River ecosystem and the listed species considered in this opinion. To the best of the Service's <br />knowledge, the Federal projects have undergone informal consultation with the Service on potential <br />effects on listed species. The negative effects are limited in scope; however, several habitat restoration <br />initiatives are underway in the lower channelized river in Nebraska, Iowa, Kansas, and Missouri, that <br />will cumulatively provide short-term and long -term benefits to certain components of the Missouri River <br />ecosystem. <br />Unrelated Federal Projects <br />Recent Flood Initiatives - A major impetus for new river and floodplain initiatives was a major flood <br />of record that occurred throughout major portions of the middle and lower Missouri River basin during <br />the summer of 1993. The extent of flooding in 1993 (stage and duration) in the main stem Missouri <br />River and it major tributaries above Kansas City, Missouri, was one of the largest on record; below <br />Kansas City new flow and stage records were set. <br />In 1993, in the reach of the Missouri River downstream of Rulo, Nebraska (Segments 13, 14 and 15), <br />160 Env. Baseline- Unrelated Federal Projects <br />