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<br />I" (. ') I <br />\..0............... ". <br /> <br />ENDANGERED SPECIES <br /> <br />First I would like to talk about the endangered spe- <br />cies. We've been operating for endangered species for <br />two years. This is the threatened piping plover and <br />the endangered least tern. I would like to show the <br />impacts that operating for the least tern have on the <br />other functions that we operate for. Starting at the <br />top with hydropower generation, there is a competi- <br />tion' since once releases are set at the beginning of <br />the least tern nesting period in mid-May we can't in- <br />crease power loads or peaking capability. It's restricted <br />during this whole period, so there is competition there, <br />but here again, Duane talked about our long range <br />planning. We try to accommodate that competition by <br />planning ahead and setting our power releases at an <br />appropriate rate 80 we won't need to increase our re- <br />leases during that nesting period. <br /> <br />Going to flood control, it does impact flood control; <br />but as we did in 1987, we fluctuate releases from Gav- <br />ins Point to maintain release reductions in the Ne- <br />braska City area. So we are able to operate for least <br />terns and accommodate flood control release reduc- <br />tions. It has an impact on navigation because it pro- <br />duces too low of a stage in certain areas of the river <br />by Sioux City. But like Duane said, we are on a learn- <br />ing curve and we feel we've learned better ways of <br />fluctuating so those negative impacts won't occur. <br /> <br />I think the most obvious effects we had by this reg- <br />ulation was in the Sioux City area. This is a picture <br />that Chuck Cooley will be talking about later, but <br />when we did fluctuate those releases, the first time we <br />tried it, we made too rapid of a fluctuation in the <br />staging. The Sioux City stage went down much more <br />rapidly and lower than we had anticipated and it did <br />cause damage to the docks at Cimmarina and to some <br />of the hulls of the boats. So like I say, we are on a <br />learning curve and we feel like we will be able to mit- <br />igate that in the future. <br /> <br />Chet Worm <br /> <br />Chet Worm is Chief of the Reservoir Regulation Section, <br />one of two sections in the Reservoir Control Center in the <br />Missouri River Division office 01 the Corps of Engineers. Chet <br />is a Registered Civil Professional Engineer. He holds a Bact1- <br />elor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering from the University <br />of Nebraska at Omaha. and a Masters of Science Degree with <br />a major in Water Resource Engineering from the University of <br />Nebraska at Lincoln. Chet has been with the Omaha District <br />for eighteen years within the field of hydrologic and hydraulic <br />design of reservoirs, levees, and associated drainage works. <br />Chet has been with the Reservoir Regulation Section for six <br />years and is CUrrent Chief of that section. <br /> <br />Looking next at fish and wildlife, the regulations for <br />endangered species is compatible with this require- <br />ment and for the downstream fisheries. <br /> <br />We don't see any significant impact on irrigation <br />from regulating for endangered species at the current <br />level of irrigation. <br /> <br />The last function, water supply and water quality, <br />here again at the current levels of water quality and <br />water supply, there are no impacts at this point. Nor- <br />mally there is enough water available during this time <br />of year, mid-May to mid-August, that it doesn't neg- <br />atively impact those. <br /> <br />FISH AND WILDLIFE <br /> <br />Going to the next function, I will be working my <br />way down these eight functions and showing the ef- <br />fects on the other seven. Here again, fish and wildlife <br />impacts on other functions, primarily there is a con- <br />flict with flood control because necessarily release re- <br />ductions for flood control downstream of reservoirs at <br />spawning periods could cause harm to the spawning <br />in those reaches. It also may adversely impact opti- <br />mum power generation by restricting power fluctua- <br />tion during spawning periods on the rivers <br />downstream from the reservoirs. So there is a com- <br />petition with hydropower. <br /> <br />Irrigation, here again no significant impact at the <br />current level of irrigation depletions. <br /> <br />Recreation-this would impact mainly in the res- <br />ervoirs themselves. We do have requests for draw down <br />on the reservoirs to help revegetation of the shoreline <br />to enhance fisheries. The draw down of the reservoirs <br />can effect the recreation at the sites. <br /> <br />Here again there is no significant impact on navi. <br />gation, water supply, or the endangered species func- <br />tion. <br /> <br />FLOOD CONTROL <br /> <br />Looking at our next requirement, flood control, as <br />Duane mentioned, the flooding experience in 1952 at <br />Sioux City where we had water in downtown Sioux <br />City, that has been taken care of by the main stem <br />dams. This is Kansas City in the 1951 flood. The main <br />stem system and other projects have has helped there. <br />This is what got the authorization going on the Kansas <br />River Projects, the tributary projects. As we men- <br />tioned, there still is flooding in the basin. This was <br /> <br />33 <br />