Instream Flow Problem Solving the Platte River in Nebraska

Ann BleedFlow 2008

N

North Platte River

Platte Platte RiverRiver

South Platte South Platte RiverRiver

WYOMING

COLORADO

NEBRASKA

DenverDenver

CasperCasper

Ft. CollinsFt. Collins

ScottsbluffScottsbluff

North North PlattePlatte

Grand Grand IslandIsland

Surface Water Surface Water IrrigationIrrigation

Watershed BoundaryWatershed Boundary

© CNPPID, 1998

Source of Platte River’s Water Supply:Source of Platte River’s Water Supply:North and South Platte River BasinsNorth and South Platte River Basins

HoldregeHoldrege

Headwaters of the North Platte

River

Headwaters of the South Platte

River

Seminoe Reservoir

Pathfinder Reservoir Glendo

Res.

Lake McConaughy

State Instream Flow Law

Rate and timing of the flow is the minimum necessary to maintain the existing recreational uses or needs of existing wildlife species

Game and Parks Commission

Science of Instream Flow Permits

•Analyses of the fish community

•PHABSIM models

•Crane roosting habitat use in relation to stream flow

•Flow hydrographs through time

•Public Interest

Results

Instream Flow Permits Granted

• Moratorium on new surface water us

• No moratorium on ground water use

• No public process – issuance of permits still rankles many in the state

Federal Endangered Species Act

Number of Basin Projects needed federal licenses or permits

FERC license in Nebraska

Bureau of Reclamation Reservoirs

Numerous small M&I

N

North Platte River

Platte Platte RiverRiver

South Platte South Platte RiverRiver

WYOMING

COLORADO

NEBRASKA

DenverDenver

CasperCasper

Ft. CollinsFt. Collins

ScottsbluffScottsbluff

North North PlattePlatte

Grand Grand IslandIsland

Surface Water Surface Water IrrigationIrrigation

Watershed BoundaryWatershed Boundary

© CNPPID, 1998

Source of Platte River’s Water Supply:Source of Platte River’s Water Supply:North and South Platte River BasinsNorth and South Platte River Basins

HoldregeHoldrege

Headwaters of the North Platte

River

Headwaters of the South Platte

River

Seminoe Reservoir

Pathfinder Reservoir Glendo

Res.

Lake McConaughy

Drought June 2006

Cooperative Agreement for Platte River Research and Other Efforts Relating to Endangered Species Habitat along the Central Platte River, Nebraska MOA signed 1997

Platte River near Sarben

by Anne Burkholder

Results

• Platte River Implementation and Recovery Program in place 13 years• Adaptive management

• Extensive database

• Mileposts – not based on ecological impacts to provide legal/compliance certainty

Platte River near Maxwell by Anne Burkholder

Lessons Learned

• Need all players at the table

• Need good science

• Adaptive management

• Disagreements over science

• Inherent uncertainty of managing complex ecosystems

• Mileposts for compliance based on implementing management actions, not response of ecosystem to management

• Better public outreach would have been helpful

Concerns

• Focus on a few species only, not the resilience of the overall ecosystem

• Compliance for 13 years assured as long a Program continues but after that ?

• Ecosystems take a long time to respond

• Impact of outside stresses (e.g. global warming)

• Political uncertainty due to deecision to commit to mitigating groundwater use in Nebraska despite federal question of federal nexus

Platte River near Maxwell by Anne Burkholder

Thank You