BOARD02244

• Board Meeting Date: 11/22/1999
• Description: WSP Section - Platte River Basin Issues - Platte River Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement
• Board Meetings - Doc Type: Memo

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MEMORANDUM

To:

Colorado Water Conservation Board Members

From:

R~dy Seaholm, Chi~f, Interstat~ Stre~nvestigations
Rick Brown, Platte River Coordinator yl3, .

Date:

November 22,1999

Subject:

Agenda Item 17.d., November 22-23, 1999 Board Meeting, Platte
River Endangered Species Cooperative Agreement

Backl!round

The last briefing memorandum on the above subject was provided to the Board at your
July 26-27 meeting. We will not reiterate all the background information provided to you
at that time.

The Platte River Cooperative Agreement (CA) was signed by Colorado, Nebraska,
Wyoming, and the US Department ofInterior (acting through the Fish and Wildlife
Service) in July 1997. The overall goal of the CA is to improve the survival of whooping
cranes, piping plovers, and the interior least tern. These three bird species have been
listed as threatened or endangered and are often referred to as the "target species". To
achieve this goal the three states, the federal government, and two of Nebraska's power
and irrigation districts will be seeking to improve water flow and habitat conditions along
the Central Platte River in Nebraska (roughly 57 miles between Lexington and
Chapman). The pallid sturgeon, which is found in the Lower Platte near it's confluence
with the Missouri River, is also part of the CA but the sturgeon does not currently recieve
the same level of focus as the three bird species.

CWCB staff have become more involved in the implementation of the CA, and if
appropriate, participation in a recovery program. The term of the CA is three years. If a
program emerges from the CA process the first increment of the program is projected to
last from 10 to 13 years. The overall water management objective for the first increment
of the program is to provide between 130,000 to150,000 acre-feet of additional water per
year during the April to September time frame.

As an initial step, the three states have been asked to provide 70,000 acre-feet.
Colorado's contribution is to try and increase South Platte flows at Julesburg by 10,000
acre-feet annually during the April to September time frame. Nebraska and Wyoming
will be providing the additional 60,000 acre-feet from North Platte sources.

With respect to Colorado's initial contribution of 10,000 acre-feet, we intend to provide
the water via the Tamarack ground water re-regulation project. In the July
memorandum we suggested that Colorado should retain flexibility to 'construct ground
water re-regulation on lands other than at the Tamarack State Wildlife area, and that re-
regulation facilities be used for multiple purposes (i.e., future depletions).

Another key goal of the CA is to perpetually protect, and where appropriate restore,
approximately 29,000 acres of habitat for the target species. How the land will be
acquired and/or held is currently being explored.