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<br />OOJ793 <br /> <br />how the development of those sources of supply will, in the aggregate, affect South Platte <br />River flows at the state line" <br /> <br />As new people move into the Front Range, South Platte flows will increase in the fall, <br />winter and spri'ng, and decrease in the summer. To mitigate this effect, Colorado will <br />implement new water regulation projects, like the Tamarack project, to shift river flows <br />back to the summer period. The size of these projects will be calculated based on new <br />population increases in the Front Range, On an order of magnitude, about _ acre-feet <br />of water will need to be reregulated for each 100,000 people moving into the Front <br />Range" <br /> <br />The Colorado new development program provides for reporting of water use and <br />population information to the Governance Committee, and the adjustment of Colorado's <br />obligations on five-year increments, <br /> <br />Regulatory Certainty. For existing projects, as long as the goals of the first increment of <br />the program are met and activities are conducted in accordance with program milestones, <br />the program will serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative for all such existing <br />projects. For new water development activities, as long as Colorado complies with the <br />terms of the new development program by reregulating the appropriate amounts of water, <br />the program will serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative for such new <br />development <br /> <br />If the program expires or if activities under the program are not adequately completed, the <br />FWS may reinitiate consultation on all permits that have relied on the program as the <br />reasonable and prudent -alternative" Before doing so, the FWS must discuss the issues <br />and seek resolution through the Governance Corrunittee.. If the FWS reinitiates <br />consultation on any pemits, it Will reinitiate consultation on all permits" In that event, <br />Colorado will have the option of continuing its projects and activities under the existing <br />and new project programs, and doing so will allow the Colorado program to continue to <br />serve as the reasonable and prudent alternative through the reinitiation process. The FWS <br />will also consider the Colorado program in the development of anY new reasonable and <br />prudent alternatives. - <br /> <br />CONCLUSION <br /> <br />The Cooperative Agreement and the Platte River Program Agreement offer positive <br />solutions to potentially contentious issues in water project compliance with the <br />requirements of the Endangered Species Act The Program provides a framework under <br />which cooperative and programmatic activities can serve as the reasonable and prudent <br />alternative under the ESA. If the Program is implemented, the three states and the <br />Department of Interior will achieve a large measure of regulatory certainty for water <br />users, and protect and restore valuable habitat for endangered species in the Central Platte <br />River Valley in Nebraska" <br /> <br />12 <br />