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<br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />,. <br />. <br />I <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />. <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br />I <br /> <br />lHH) G i3 7 <br /> <br />migrational habitat requirements, and (4) knowledge of the effects of flows and <br />flow changes on suitability and availability of whooping crane roost habitat. <br /> <br />3.3 Previous Efforts to Solve Problem <br />The problem involving the wet meadow areas along the Big Bend reach of <br />the Platte River is essentially a flow deficit problem. The dramatic decreases in <br />mean annual flow rates makes meeting the suggested flow requirements nearly <br />impossible. At this point, only wet meadow reestablishment actions involving <br />land acquisition have been used to restore wet meadow habitat (Platte River <br />Whooping Crane Trust, U.S. FWS 1990). These efforts protect the required <br />land, but do not solve the water deficit porblem. The water deficit problem has <br />been addressed as part of section 7 (of the ESA) consultations on water <br />projects, but these regulatory efforts can only attempt to maintain the status quo, <br />and do not result in improved conditions (Pitts 1995). No significant progress <br />has been made towards solving the wet meadow problem with either a flow <br />based solution or with an engineered solution (Pitts 1995). <br /> <br />4.0 METHODOLOGY OF ENGINEERED SOLUTION <br />4.1 Analysis of Groundwater Recharge Methods <br />Because of reduced surface water availability, the most viable engineered <br />solution to the problem of restoring the wet meadow complex along the Big Bend <br />reach of the Platte River involves groundwater recharge. Artificial recharge may <br />be defined as augmenting the natural movement of surface water into <br />underground formations by some method of construction, by spreading of water, <br />or by artificially changing natural conditions (Todd 1980). Several methods have <br />been developed to recharge groundwater artificially including water spreading, <br />recharge through pits and wells and pumping to induce recharge from surface <br />water bodies. The recharge method chosen for this application was a basin. <br />Basin groundwater recharge methods, because of their general feasibility, <br />efficient use of space, and ease of maintenance, are the favored method of <br />recharge (Todd 1980). <br /> <br />9 <br />