WSP08290

• File Number: 8449.916
• Description: South Platte Projects
• State: CO
• Basin: South Platte
• Date: 8/1/1997
• Author: McLaughlin Water Eng
• Title: Platte River Basin Study
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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Contents

Page

Executive Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , .. VII

Section I - Introduction and Purpose .,.......................,...... 1
Basin Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1
The Physical Basin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 1
Critical Water Problems ...,................................ 5

Section II - Critical Water Problems in the Platte River Basin ........... 7

Introduction ..........,...................................... 7
Flows for Endangered Species in the Central Platte: A Federal
and Interstate Problem . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ,. 7
Overview and Description .........................,.......... 7
Platte River Management Joint Study. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . .. 8
Memorandum of Agreement/Cooperative Agreement . . . , . . . . . . . .. 9
Kingsley Dam FERC Relicensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15
Nebraska Statute LB108 . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 21
EPA Middle Platte River Ecological Risk Assessment Program ... 22
Colorado Senate Bill 74 Planning Study .............,........ 23
Lower Platte Habitat Flows: An Intrastate Problem . . . . . . , , . . . , , ,. 23
Overview and Problem Description. , . . . . . . . . , , . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 23
Efforts to Resolve the Problem .....,...............,........ 24
Central and Lower Platte Non.Point Source Agrichemical Pollution .. 29
Overview and Problem Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 29
Efforts to Resolve the Problem .............................. 29
Nebraska V. Wyoming . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
Overview and Problem Description. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 35
1993 Supreme Court Decision .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 37
May 30, 1995 Supreme Court Opinion .. . . . . . . . . , . . . , . . . . . . . .. 39
Front Range Water Supply Needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 42
Overview and Description of the Problem ..................... 42
Denver Water Board's Integrated Resource Plan .'............. 44
Metropolitan Water Supply Investigation ....,................ 44
Bypass Flow Issues. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . .. 45
Local Watershed Case Study: The Central Platte Natural
Resources District ..............,.............,............. 50
Natural Resource Districts ......,............,..,.......... 51
Groundwater Depletion ......................,............. 52
Groundwater Quality Protection. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 54

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