Cooperative Agreement
The US Fish and Wildlife Service has given its approval of a plan to manage water on the Platte River. The plan is called the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) and is designed to put more water into the river and change when the river sees its flows. The Environmentalists want more water in the River in late Spring and in October. The plan can be found at http://www.platteriver.org/
The next step is for Nebraska to review the plan. If the Governor finds it acceptable, he will sign the agreement, committing Nebraska to making the reductions.
What happens if the PRRIP (Cooperative Agreement) is not signed?
Then all water related activities with a federal nexus in Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming become subject to the review by project by the Fish and Wildlife on an individual project basis for compatibility with the Endangered Species Act.
This includes:
- Kingsley Dam,
- The irrigation projects in western Nebraska that get their irrigation water from Bureau of Reclamation reservoirs in Wyoming,
- All diversions from the Platte,
- Potentially groundwater irrigation wells (an Omaha judge has ruled that such wells, to the extent they affect the river are subject to review),
- The hydro projects operated by NPPD and CNPPID, which includes water for irrigation in central Nebraska municipal wells, farm programs, etc that get federal funding.
The Fish and Wildlife Service does not have the resources to do these reviews in a timely fashion.
No one knows what would happen or how much water and land would be required of water related activities.
Risk of lawsuits from various environmental groups seeking injunctions on irrigation and power - hence much of the irrigation and hydro power in Nebraska is at risk to some degree.
If the agreement is signed:
Then we know what we are dealing with.
Existing irrigation (surface
water and groundwater) and power uses are licensed and considered acceptable by
Fish and Wildlife Service for 12 years
What we give up with the agreement
All consumptive use on the Platte that effects endangered species target flows
that have come into existence since 1997 must be offset
Phase 1 will require no cash from Nebraska.
- Because NPPD has purchased and developed the Cottonwood Ranch
- Because Nebraska receives credit for the environmental account in McConaughy.
10,000 acres are set aside on the Platte for endangered species during this first increment. The Cottonwood Ranch counts for 2650 acres.
Shortages to fish and wildlife service target flows must be reduced by 150,000 acre feet. The environmental account on McConaughy, a project on the Pathfinder dam and a Colorado project called Tamerask count for 80,000 acre feet of the required 150,000.
The remaining 70,000 AF will
come from water projects paid for by the program
No new consumptive use on the Platte in Nebraska, Colorado or Wyoming unless the
impacts to endangered species target flows are offset. They can be offset by
1. An equal reduction in consumptive use elsewhere on the Platte
2. Retimed flows,
3. Storage projects
4. Shutdown of irrigated acres
Cost of the agreement is estimated at $317 million.
$130 million are in kind contributions from the three states (land and water)
$187 million in cash
$157 million in Federal dollars
$30 million State dollars
$24 million from Colorado
$6 million from Wyoming