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Department of Natural Resources <br />Platte River - Related Species Conservation Funding Requests <br />1998 <br />The Department of Natural Resources has requested two different increases in funding to address <br />Endangered Species Act (ESA) concerns affecting the use of water in the South Platte and North Platte <br />Basins in Colorado.'Both are required to fulfill the State's obligations identified in the recently executed <br />Platte River Basin Cooperative Agreement (Platte Agreement). <br />The Platte Agreement is between Colorado, Nebraska, Wyoming and the Department of the Interior. It <br />establishes a framework whereby existing and future water use and development. in the Platte River <br />Basin can comply with the federal Endangered Species Act. The duration of the Agreement is <br />anticipated to be 13 to 16 years, the first three years are reflected in the Decision Item 93 and will assure <br />the Agreement itself is in full compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the <br />Endangered Species Act. The capital projects developed in the remaining years are reflected in HB <br />1006. Both requests are for General Funds. These two initiatives are complimentary, but financially <br />separate. <br />The Department's two funding requests are designed to anticipate needs during this first three -year <br />period, as well as needs thereafter. <br />Platte River Basin Cooperative Agreement - Decision Item # 3 - $386,104 (1.0 FTE) — GF <br />These funds would be used to support the activities and obligations under the Agreement during the first <br />year of the three -year NEPA/ESA evaluation period. Specifically, the funds would be used as follows: <br />Hire 1.0 FTE in the Colorado Water Conservation Board - $86,104. This position would <br />coordinate Colorado's continued involvement in the Agreement. The position would represent <br />Colorado in a number of technical planning sessions, provide comments and coordinate the <br />collection and presentation of data to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service EIS process. <br />• Provide 20 percent of the cost of the Project Director's Office - $60,000. The Agreement calls <br />for the establishment of a Director's Office to coordinate the efforts of all signatories. The <br />Agreement calls for the federal government to pay 50 %, with the three states paying the remaining <br />50% (Colorado 20 %, Nebraska 20% and Wyoming 10 %). <br />• Conduct studies associated with proposed Colorado Water Management Programs - $140,000. <br />Colorado has proposed a managed groundwater recharge project near the Colorado - Nebraska <br />stateline to re- regulate the timing of flows as they cross the stateline. Together with comparable <br />projects in Nebraska and Wyoming, this project will contribute 70,000 acre -feet towards an overall <br />goal of providing 130,000 acre -feet of re- regulated water to the habitat in Central Nebraska in <br />accordance with the Agreement. Water will be provided in accordance with state water rights and <br />the state of Colorado's entitlements under the South Platte Compact. The funds would support <br />necessary studies related to this proposal. <br />Conduct water conservation study - $100,000. The agreement anticipates that there are a number <br />of technically more efficient ways that water users in Nebraska could use their allocations of the <br />Platte River, the savings from which will meet the 60,000 acre -foot shortfall. These funds would be <br />used to underwrite Colorado's share for the studies necessary to identify these measures <br />