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':~, SUMMARY ,','\ BNVIRONNBNTAL IllITBCTS The Environmental Quality (EQ) Account, table A, displays the principal environmental factors selected for comparison of the plans, The net changes are shown in parentheses and are compared to the future without condition, The overall EQ effect shown in table A supports equally both the NED and Project Sponsor's plans, The two development alternatives contain the same objectives: endangered species habitat management and recovery, environmental flow augmentation, and protection Of instream flows for environmental flow purposes, The NED plan diverts less water to ground-water recharge; however, the performance of the two plans in meeting endangered species flow requirements are within plus or minus 2 percent of each other, The Project Sponsor's plan increases palustrine wetlands and increases the migratory waterfowl habitat. Most of the individual environmental features of both plans have been rated as either minorly or moderately beneficial. However, the fact that the plans either stabilize or improve habitats for four endangered species and 80 percent of the North American sandhill crane population suggest tpat the collective significance of the plans are higher. For this reason, the overall significance of both plans is considered to be moderately beneficial for the EQ resources when compared to future without conditions. ALTIIllUtATIVIllS Alternative plans were developed for the project considering NED, EO, Regional Economic Development, and Social Accounts. The planning team investigated three. alternatives in this stage of Reclamation's planning process: (1) the NED Plan, which includes a habitat management plan and serves only the prairie Bend area with ground-water recharge features; (2) the Project Sponsor's plan, which includes a habitat management plan and serves both the Twin Valley and prairie Bend areas with ground-water recharge features; and (3) the future without condition (no action alternative) to establish a basis for comparison of the two plans. Table B displays the features and costs of the NED and the Project Sponsor's plans, DD PLAN Features of the NED plan, shown in figure A, provide for wildlife habitat management and ground-water recharge. The NED plan's wildlife habitat management features include the Plum Creek Reservoir for wildlife habitat flow augmentation of the Platte River and wildlife habitat management areas on the Platte River between Lexington and Grand Island, Plum Creek Reservoir i , l S-3 i , ------ --