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o Basic Description: Water management alternatives consist primarily of programs resulting in reductions in consumptive use, or in the case of on-farm changes in irrigation techniques, reductions in return flows that do not return to the Platte ~iver above the critical habitat. The programs evaluated assume the water rights involved, are dependent on storage rights in Lake McConaughy. In general, an irrigation district or farmer with storage rights in Lake McConaughy will be paid to reduce their diversions through conservation cropping, deficit irrigation, land fallowing, or changes in irrigation techniques, The reduction in consumptive use will likely be added to the EA when storage space is available and released during times of shortage at the critical habitat. Although these programs could include reductions in natural flow diversions, it wmbe more difficult to insure protection, The EA may not always be available to re-regulate downstream reductions in consumptive use, however, the opportunitx for an exchange is greater if the project is associated with a water right dependent on: storage, Option 1: Conservation cropping. Consists of a voluntary program to encourage the conversion of a portion of commonly irrigated, water intensive crops to production of less water intensive crops or crop rotations also found in the local area. Based upon local cropping pattern infonnation, the conversion from continuous corn cropping to an alternating rotation of corn and soybeans Was evaluated in Reaches 16 through 19. Option 2: Deficit irrigation. Consist of a voluntary program to reduce irrigation water use, This analysis focuses on reducing irrigation on corn acres by six inches per acre in exchange for incentive payments. Option 3: Land fallowing. Consists of a voluntary program under which farmers agree not to irrigate certain lands in exchange fqr payment. To effectively reduce consumptive use, this fallowed acreage must be over and above historical fallowing practices for purposes of land conservation. . Option 4: On.farm changes in irrigatiop techniques. Consists of a voluntary program aimed at improving irrigation efficiency, :These measures focus on reducing return flows from farms rather than reducing consumptive use. In Reaches 17, 18, and 19 a large proportion ofreturn flows do not return to the river above the critical habitat. These flows either accrete to the groundwater mound in the area, travel into the Republican Basin, or return to the Platte River below!the critical habitat. This circumstance, along with the proximity of these reaches to th~ critical habitat, makes this area the most economically and hydrologically favorable for the implementation of on-fann improvements to irrigation techniques, For Options I through 3 the amount of water available to the Program consists of the reduction in consumptive use, whereas, the amount available under option 4 consists of the reduction in return flows that do not return to the Platte River above the critical habitat. C:\Draft Water Action Plan (May 30, 2llOO)\wlIpC I1lpon (Version 6 BND2)-.doc 24 "; "\'.