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<br />Another key issue that has not been resolved is how pulse and peak flow requirements may <br />effect future water development. <br /> <br />. The Land Committee did not meet. <br /> <br />. The Technical Committee (TC) met and completed a number oftasks. The Whooping <br />Crane monitoring effort was completed (March 10-April 30). A total of 4 confirmed, and 8 <br />possible Whooping Cranes sightings were reported in the study area. A summary of their <br />activity and habitat use will be prepared. A Tern and Plover monitoring plan will begin in <br />late May. Black and white air photos were taken on April 16. These photos will be used to <br />monitor river channel changes over time and will be repeated every other year. The <br />Technical Committee is also recommending that Color Infra Red photos be taken every other <br />year to monitor vegetation changes over time. The Finance Committee gave approval to take <br />one set of CIR photos. <br /> <br />The Technical Committee held a workshop with the Governance Committee on April 20. <br />The outcome of the workshop was very encouraging in regard to the channel <br />morphology/sediment issues that have been raised by the Fish and Wildlife Service (Service). <br />Weare cautiously optimistic that this issue may get "rolled" into monitoring and research <br />and adaptive management. This is very significant because prior to this meeting the Service <br />seemed to be insisting that the program could not go forward until a third program element <br />was added (sediment). The Service also appeared to want specific sediment activities <br />included in the program to offset jeopardy. We are hopeful that a more flexible incremental <br />approach to this issue will be developed in the next month or two, but many challenges must <br />be resolved. <br /> <br />The three states hired Parsons Engineering to help us evaluate the channel morphology issues <br />(sediment) raised by the EIS team, and Fish and Wildlife Service. Given the progress we <br />have made on this issue, as described above, we are now faced with the challenge of how to <br />proceed with the study without reinitiating antagonism and conflict. <br />