About | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline Law Journal Library | HeinOnline
LOG IN
LOG IN

1 1 (May 12, 2021)

handle is hein.crs/govedgs0001 and id is 1 raw text is: SCongressional Research Service Inforrning the legislative debate since 1914 May 12, 2021 Platte River Restoration Efforts Background The Platte River system, located in the states of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, supports 15 major dams and reservoirs, which provide water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, flood control, and recreation for about 3.5 million people, as well as habitat for fish and wildlife. Figure I. Platte River Basin _i Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 2018, adapted by CRS. Irrigation in the Platte River system was developed in the early 1970s. After passage of the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1973, several species from the region were listed as endangered or threatened. As a result, water conveyance infrastructure in the system was subject to Section 7 consultation under the ESA. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) consulted with federal agencies managing projects in the Platte River to determine how projects could operate without harming federally listed species. FWS found that some federal actions that depleted flows in the Platte River were likely to jeopardize one or more listed species (i.e., target species), including the endangered whooping crane, endangered pallid sturgeon, threatened piping plover, and formerly listed interior least tern. The challenges between implementing hydropower-related projects and conserving species listed under the ESA ultimately led to an agreement among stakeholders. In 1997, the Secretary of the Interior (Secretary) and the governors of Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming signed the Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitat Along the Central Platte River, Nebraska. Under the agreement, a Governance Committee was created-made up of 10 voting members, including the signatories, water users, FWS, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation), and environmental groups. The committee was charged with creating a program to improve and maintain the habitat of the four target species on the Platte River and to ensure compliance with Section 7 under the ESA for certain existing and future water operations activities in each state. This program, created in 2007, is the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP). PRRIP The PRRIP covers the north, south, and central Platte Basin (Figure 1). The program's purpose is to implement portions of the FWS recovery plans for target species habitat. To do this, the PRRIP has three main elements: (1) increasing flows in the central Platte River during certain periods; (2) protecting and restoring habitat for target bird species; and (3) accommodating new water-related activities (e.g., water storage, diversions, and conservation). These elements are addressed in three plans, each with a set of goals and milestones. * The Water Plan aims to improve flows and maintain habitat for all target species in the central Platte River area through incentive-based water projects that provide an additional 130,000-150,000 acre-feet (af) per year toward target flows for the environment, which FWS previously established. (These improvements generally are known as reduced target flow shortages.) * The Land Plan aims to protect and, where appropriate, restore 10,000 acres of habitat during the PRRIP's First Increment. The Land Plan's long-term objective is to acquire, restore, and maintain 29,000 acres of habitat for listed species along the central Platte River. * The Adaptive Management Plan provides a systematic process to monitor the implementation and measure the success of PRRIP activities. It applies the information learned to improve management decisions and the survival of all species and to avoid impacts to species' habitat. The PRRIP is being implemented through the central Governance Committee, which oversees program staff and other combined federal and state efforts (Figure 2). The program is to be conducted in increments. The First Increment initially covered a 13-year period, from 2007 through 2019. This increment was extended for another 13 years, through December 2032, with some changes to the plans. Subsequent increments are to be implemented through cooperative agreements between the Secretary and the governors. Federal Role The Consolidated Natural Resources Act of 2008 (P.L. 110- 229, Title V, §515) authorized the Secretary, acting through Reclamation and in cooperation with states and federal agencies, to implement the PPRIP's First Increment from https:/crsreports.conress. 0ummmeamm

What Is HeinOnline?

HeinOnline is a subscription-based resource containing thousands of academic and legal journals from inception; complete coverage of government documents such as U.S. Statutes at Large, U.S. Code, Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations, U.S. Reports, and much more. Documents are image-based, fully searchable PDFs with the authority of print combined with the accessibility of a user-friendly and powerful database. For more information, request a quote or trial for your organization below.



Short-term subscription options include 24 hours, 48 hours, or 1 week to HeinOnline.

Purchase Access

Contact us for annual subscription options:

Contact Us

Already a HeinOnline Subscriber?

Log In

profiles profiles most