BOARD01775

• Board Meeting Date: 3/20/2000
• Description: Platte River Basin Issues - Platte River Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement - Water Action Plan Committee Update
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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STATE OF COLORADO

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OFFICE OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Department ot" Natura] Resources
131 J Sherman Street, Room 71 tl
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phont,: elm) B66-33)1
TDD: (JOJ) 866-]54J
~ax: (JOJ) Bflh-2115

Memorllndum

To:

The Colorado Water Conservation Board

From:

Kent Holsinger, Assistant Director, Water Policy
8rt8-0
March 9, 2000

Date:

Subject:

Agenda Item 22.d.(I), March 20 -21, 2000 Board Meeting, Platte River
Endangered Species Cooperati'l'e Agreement, Water Action Plan Committee
Update.

I, Introduction

In 1997 the Governors of the states of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming signed an agreement
with the Department ofInterior to improve the habitat of four endangered species in the Central
Platte River in Nebraska, We are nearing the completion of the three-year planning stage of this
proposed program, Assuming negotiations continue to go well for Colorado, we expect to
participate in the proposed program with the other states and the federal government, The
proposed program has three components: water; Illnd; and monitoring and research, This memo
will highlight issues related to the program water component,

II. Water Action Plan Committee

During our recent negotiations Colorado has mad~ it clear that our commitment to contribute
water is contingent upon: (I) our ability to utiliz~ the Tamarack water recharge project in
Northeastern Colorado; (2) Nebraska's willingness to consider reregulated water "n~W water"
such that they protect it from diversion so that it reaches the habitat; and (3) the federal
government's commitment that forest management
practices will not affect the states' goals of ESA compliance,

Colorado fully supports the Tamarack project as the most viable means of meeting ESA
compliance while allowing existing and future water uses to continue, We feel strongly that
water should be developed for the program where it makes the most sense-in Nebraska. Water is
closer to the habitat, cheaper and more abundant in Nebraska than in Colorado or Wyoming,

Our position has been consistently attacked--particularly by Nebraska, They argue that Colorado
should contribute more water than we propose and they take issue that Colorado is not willing to
dry up consumptive use for this program, Nebraska also contends that the Tamarack project is
"smoke and mirrors" and that it will harm their existing water users,

At five million irrigated acres, Nebraska ranks number one in the nation for well use, In contrast
to Colorado, irrigated agriculture is actually increasing in Nebraska, Over the last two years, new
wells have created over 25.000 additional irrigated acres in Nebraska, This trend is expected
to continue (and likely will substantially increase) until Nebraska's promised 12/31/01 deadline
for drilling unregulated wells, As part of the Cooperative Agreement, Nebraska will have to pass
legislation to begin regulating their wells as Colorado did in 1969,

DEPARTMENT OF
NATURAL
RESOURCES

HdlOwens
Governor

Grcf;E. Walcher
Executive Director

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