FLOOD01223

• County: Statewide
• Community: State of Colorado
• Stream Name: South Platte
• Title: Upper Platte River Basin Study 1979-83
• Date: 1/1/1979
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Flood Mitigation/Flood Warning/Watershed Restoration

CHAPTER I - BACKGROUND

State and Federal interests expressed a continual and strong desire
for effective coordination and meaningful communication as an integral
part of conducting the Upper Pl atte River studies, and thi s theme was
prevalent throughout the study process.

This chapter outlines study organization and touches on the areas
of responsibil ity for study conduct. The major portion is devoted
to a concise description of the physical setting with emphasis on
the hydrologic system and the economic and environmental parameters
of the study area.

STUDY ORGANIZATION

A State-Federal Committee carried out coordination oversight of the
technical studies for most of the study period. This committee,
cochaired by the Secretary of the Interior's Regional Representative
and the chairman of the Missouri River Basin Commission, was instru-
mental in developing the pl an for overall study conduct, study
organization, and study products. Its membership included a repre-
sentative from each of the three Interior agencies - Fish and Wildlife
Service, Geological Survey, Bureau of Reclamation - and a representative
from each of the three affected States - Wyomi ng, Nebraska, and
Colorado. Overall organization is illustrated in figure 1, Upper Platte
River Study Organization Chart.

STUDY RESPONSIBILITIES

Each of the three Interior agencies had leadership responsibilities for
certain technical studies. The Fish and Wildlife Service, in carrying
out the Ecology Techn ic al Study, focused primari ly on the area of the
Platte River from the town of Chapman, Nebraska, which is east of Grand
Island, westward to the city of North Platte, and along the North Platte
River westward to Kingsley Dam.

The most intensive efforts have been directed at migratory birds,
especially the sandhill crane. Baseline information has been gained
for defining habitat needs. Staging areas, roosting sites, feeding
areas, dietary needs, and tolerances of the midcontinent sandhill
crane populations to a variety of factors have been evaluated. Other
migratory waterfowl and other species, including raptors, federally
listed endangered species, and shore birds, making use of the Platte
River in this area, have also been studied.

The Geological Survey directed its attention to defining the iII10unt
and di stributi on of streamfl ow and ground water and rel at i ng these
hydrologic events and conditions to the parameters of migratory bird
habitat. Boundaries for Geological Survey studies were Duncan,
Nebraska, on the lower end, upstream to near Kersey, Colorado, on the
South Pl atte, and to the upper end of lake McConaughy on the North
Pl atte River.

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