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<br />'.' <br /> <br />ocios15 <br /> <br />, <br /> <br />'. <br /> <br /><, <br />J' <br />Platte River Proji:ct, arid t~~u~its of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Progra,m). These facilities <br /> <br />provide water to' about: 440,000' acres of farmland in the North Platte Basin, produce <br />~ , -,. " "",' " ~, ~_.' , - .. '-. <br />hydroelectric power, and also provide other benefits such as flood control, recreation, fish and <br />wildlife habitat, and municipal and industrial water supplies. There is no Recla.rnationon-stream <br />. , . . , '. , <br />storage in the South-Platte River, but ReClamation does operate the Colorado-Big Thompson <br />Project in the So~th'PlatteBasin~ Using water diverted from Colorado's West Slope, this <br />project supplieS supplemental irrigation water to 720,000 acres of farmland, provides municipal <br />water to 423,000 people in the'Basin, produces hydroelectric power, and providesother'benefits <br />such as recreation, and fish and wildlife habitat. <br /> <br />The evaluation and repprt preparation is being performed in two stages. The first stage will <br />evaluate the operation of existing Reclamation projeCts located 'on the North Platte River for the <br />potential to affect threatened and endangered species. The second stage will evaluate the, <br />operation of Reclamation's South Platte River Colorado-Big Thompson Project for the potential <br />to affect threatened and endangered species. Activities associated with this evaluation are <br />scheduled through fiscal year 1998, A report detailing the effects of operations of North Platte <br />River projects, as well as reasonable and prudent alternatives,if required"is scheduled for 1995. <br />A similar report for the South Platte river project is scheduled for completion in 1998. <br /> <br />The purpose of the evaluation is to determine if the operations of Reclamation facilities in the <br />Platte River Basin are in compliance with the requirements of Section 7~ If the evaluation shows <br />that operations of one or both projects are adversely affecting listed species or their habita~, <br />formal Section 7 consultation with the Service win be initiated. If this occurs, and the <br />consultation results ina finding by the Service that project operations jeopardize the species or <br />adversely affect critical habitat, reasonable and prudent alternatives would be specified by the <br />Service. Any reasonable and prudent alternatives will <most like~ be consistent with the' goals <br />"'" 'bj""~ of"'" Prog=. "'" "'ld~\bolli ~~e and land management activities <br />to improve habitat in the Big Bend area. ',. <br />WPa~~"~}:tt>~ <br />~ ~ ?~.JW- <br />~ . ~.,~t:~~t~~~ <br />27 ~ ", A. <br />~~~ <br />