BOARD02437

• Board Meeting Date: 7/26/1999
• Description: Platte River Issues - Platte River Endangered Species Partnership ‎(PRESP)‎
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

STATE OF COLOMDO

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Colorado Water Conservation Board
Department of Natural Resources
1313 Sherman Street
Denver, Colorado 80203
Phone: [phone]
FAX, {3031866-4474

MEMORANDUM

TO:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

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fROM:

DATE: July 20,1999

SUBJECT: Agenda Item 10d, July 26-27,1999 Board Meeting-
Platte River Endangered Species Partnership (PRESP)

This is an informational item; no action is recommended.

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The Department of Natural Resources Executive Director's Office was the lead
agency in negotiating the Platte River Cooperative Agreement and in developing the
Platte River Endangered Species Partnership (PRESP). However, in 1998 the Executive
Director requested funding and authorization to hire one person in our office for the
continuing responsibilities for implementing the Cooperative Agreement. Accordingly, a
new CWCB staff position was created in our Interstate Streams Section to provide the
necessary support, and Randy Seaholm and I both expect to be much more directly
involved during the next 12-18 months. Within that time, the PRESP participants expect
to complete the development of all information required for the fish and Wildlife
Service's Environmental Impact Statement, Biological Opinion and Record of Decision.

Our participation is coordinated with Colorado water users (organized primarily
through the Platte River Project and the South Platte Lower River Group) and includes:
· funding the PRESP contracts for management and technical services;
· implementation of the Tamarack Plan as part of the three states' proposal to
provide 70,000 Af of hydrologic benefits to the Nebraska habitat (i.e., reduced
discrepancy between existing flows and the target flows identified by the fish and
Wildlife Service);
· designing and implementing Colorado's future depletions mitigation plan,
including methods to account for future depletions;
. negotiating the components of an "action plan" that will identify water
conservation/water supply projects capable of providing an additional 60,000 -
80,000 Af of hydrologic benefits to the Nebraska habitat;
. participation in the NEP A review of the proposed recovery program;

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BiJlQwel15
Governor

GregE. Walcher
Executive Director, ONR
PeterH. Evans
Director, eWeB

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