Table of Contents
Executive Summary
Chapter I--Purpose and Need
  Introduction
  Setting
  Purpose of and Need for Action
  Issues and Concerns
    I. RMA/NEPA Process
    II. Economic Benefits/Impacts to Agriculture
    III. Balanced/competing Uses
    IV. Cost of Water/who Pays
    V. Conservation/farming Practices
    VI. Contract Terms
    VII. Relationship of Groundwater to Surface Water
    VIII. Operations
    IX. Wildlife/fish
    X. Recreation
    XI. Compact Issues
  Relationship of the Project to Other Activities/Projects
  Connected Actions
    The Interrelated RMA, NEPA, and Contracting Processes
      Resource Management Assessment Process
      NEPA Process
      Contract Renewal Process
      Types of Contracts
      Integration of the Contract Renewal and NEPA Processes
    Projects
    Operating and Compact Agreements
      Operating Agreements
      Field Working Agreements
    Republican River Compact
  Cumulative Actions
    Water Conservation
      Frenchman Valley Irrigation District Past and Current Water
Conservation Accomplishments
      Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District Past and Current Water
Conservation Accomplishments
      Bostwick Irrigation District in Kansas Past and Current Water
Conservation Accomplishments
      Bostwick Irrigation District in Nebraska Past and Current Water
Conservation Accomplishments
      Almena Irrigation District Past and Current Water Conservation
Accomplishments
    Other Actions
  Agency Interrelationships
  Authorization and Legislative Compliance
    Environmental
    Cultural Preservation
    American Indian
    Other
  Document Review
  Document Organization
Chapter II--Proposed Action and Alternatives
  Introduction
  Plan Selection Criteria
    Federal
    Evaluation Process
    History of Planning
      Initial Screening
      Further Criteria
      Constraints
      Other Planning Criteria
        Recreation/Agribusiness Analysis
        Additional Considerations
  Alternatives Considered in Detail
    Process
  The Alternatives
    Common Element to All Alternatives
      Adaptive Management Process and Selenium Concentrations
    No Action Alternative
    Increased Irrigation Use of Harlan County Lake (Irrigation Alternative)
    Limited Reservoir Fishing, Recreation Access, and Reservoir Riparian Vegetation Emphasis
(Recreation/Riparian Alternative)
    Reservoir Multi-Use Plus Water Conservation (Multi-Use Alternative)
    Water Conservation and Modified Reservoir Management (Conservation Alternative)
    Negotiated Alternative (Reclamation's Preferred Alternative)
    Description of the Consensus Plan for Harlan County Lake
  Alternatives Considered But Eliminated
Chapter III--Affected Environment (Resources of Concern)
  Introduction
  Setting
  Affected Resources
    Water Resources
      Reservoirs
        Bonny Dam and Reservoir
        Enders Dam and Reservoir
        Trenton Dam and Swanson Lake
        Red Willow Dam and Hugh Butler Lake
        Medicine Creek and Harry Strunk Lake
        Norton Dam and Keith Sebelius Lake
        Harlan County Dam and Reservoir
        Lovewell Dam and Reservoir
    Irrigation Water Supply to Districts
      Frenchman Valley
      Frenchman-Cambridge Unit
      Bostwick-Nebraska
      Bostwick-Kansas
      Almena Unit
    Water Quality
      Overall
      Selenium
        Selenium Studies
        Adaptive Management Process
    Recreation
      Contemporary
      Reservoirs--Background
        Enders Reservoir (Enders State Recreation Area [SRA])
        Swanson Lake (Swanson SRA)
        Hugh Butler Lake (Red Willow SRA)
        Harry Strunk Lake (Medicine Creek SRA)
        Keith Sebelius Lake (Prairie Dog State Park)
        Harlan County Lake (Harlan County Recreation Area)
        Lovewell Reservoir (Lovewell State Park)
      Regional Income
        Introduction
        Income
        Recreation
        Agriculture
  Resources Minimally Affected
    Reservoir Riparian Vegetation
      Existing Riparian Habitat at Harlan County Lake
    Avian and Terrestrial Wildlife and Migratory Waterfowl
    Aquatic Resources
      Harlan County Lake Fishery
      Upstream Spawning Migration
  Resources Largely Unaffected
    Wetlands and Riverine Riparian Vegetation
    Indian Trust Assets
    Cultural Resources
      Sites Potentially Affected
      Old Republican City Townsite
      Paleoindian Affiliation
      Literature Search
    Sacred Sites
    Endangered Species
      Snowy Plover (Charadrius alexandrinus)
      White-Faced Ibis (Plegadis chihi)
      Bald Eagle
Chapter IV--Environmental Consequences
  Introduction
  Assumptions
  Affected Resources
    Water Resources
      Issues
      Future Level of Depleted Flows
      Indicators of Impact
      General Conclusions
      Reservoirs
      Irrigation Districts and Shortages
        Basinwide Impact Analysis
        Frenchman Valley
          Impact Analysis
        Frenchman-Cambridge Unit
          Impact Analysis
        Bostwick-Nebraska
          Impact Analysis
        Bostwick-Kansas
          Impact Analysis
        Almena Unit
          Impact Analysis
        Water Quality
          Overall Issues
          General Conclusions
          Indicators of Impact
          Selenium
            Issues (Selenium)
            Indicators of Impact (Selenium)
            Impact Analysis (Selenium)
            Summary (Selenium)
          Other Water Quality Concerns (Metals and Chlorinated Hydrocarbons
in Sediments and Fish)
            Issues
              1. Significance of Impact (Metals in Sediments)
            Impacts Analysis (Metals in Sediments)
            Summary (Metals in Sediments)
              2. Indicators of Impact (Metals in Fish)
            Impacts Analysis (Metals in Fish)
            Summary (Metals in Fish)
              3. Indicators of Impact and Summary (Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Fish)
            Impacts Analysis (Chlorinated Hydrocarbons in Fish)
    Recreation
      Issue
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
      Reservoirs--Impacts Analysis
      Methodology
        Harlan County Recreation Benefits Methodology
        Enders Reservoir (Enders State Recreation Area [SRA])
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Swanson Lake (Swanson SRA)
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Hugh Butler Lake (Red Willow SRA)
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Harry Strunk Lake (Medicine Creek SRA)
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Keith Sebelius Lake (Prairie Dog State Park)
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Harlan County Lake Area
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
        Lovewell Reservoir (Lovewell State Park)
          Impacts
          Facility Availability
    Regional Income and Employment
      Issues
      General Conclusions
        Recreation
        Agriculture
      Indicators of Impact
      Impacts Analysis
      Methodology
        Harlan County Lake Recreation Expenditure Methodology
        Recreation
        Agriculture
  Resources Minimally Affected
    Reservoir Riparian Vegetation
      Issue
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
      Impacts Analysis
        No Action Alternative
        Irrigation Alternative
        Recreation/Riparian Alternative
        Multi-Use Alternative
        Conservation Alternative
        Negotiated Alternative
        Cumulative Effects
    Avian and Terrestrial Wildlife and Migratory Waterfowl
      General Conclusions
      Issue 1
      Indicators of Impact
      Impacts Analysis
        No Action
        Other Alternatives
        Cumulative Effects
      Issue 2
      Indicators of Impact
      Impact Analysis
        No Action
        Other Alternatives
        Negotiated Alternative
        Cumulative Effects
    Aquatic Resources
      Issue
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
      Impacts Summary
        No Action Alternative
          1. Habitat Available Based on Reservoir Elevation
          2. Amount of Annual Fluctuation in Reservoir Volume
          3. Changes in Streamflow
        Irrigation Alternative
          1. Habitat Available Based on Reservoir Elevation
          2. Amount of Annual Fluctuation in Reservoir Volume
          3. Changes in Streamflow
        Recreation/Riparian Alternative
          1. Habitat Available Based on Reservoir Elevation
          2. Amount of Annual Fluctuation in Reservoir Volume
          3. Changes in Streamflow
        Multi-Use Alternative
          1. Habitat Available Based on Reservoir Elevation
          2. Amount of Annual Fluctuation in Reservoir Volume
          3. Changes in Streamflow
        Conservation Alternative
          1. Habitat Available Based on Reservoir Elevation
          2. Amount of Annual Fluctuation in Reservoir Volume
          3. Changes in Streamflow
        Negotiated Alternative
          Lake Fishery
          Development of the Harlan County Lake Fishery
          Upstream Spawning Migration
          Changes in Streamflow
  Resources Largely Unaffected
    Wetlands and Riverine Riparian Vegetation
      Issue
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
      Impacts Analysis
    Indian Trust Assets
      Issue
      General Conclusions
      Indicator of Impact
      Impacts Analysis
    Cultural Resources
      Issues
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
        1. Reservoir Shoreline Erosion
        2. Downstream Bank Erosion
        3. Damage or Destruction of Historic Structures
        4. Increased Exposure to Vandalism
      Impacts Analysis
    Sacred Sites
      Issues
      General Conclusions
      Indicators of Impact
        1. Bank Erosion
        2. Increased Exposure to Vandalism
      Impacts Analysis
    Endangered Species
      Impacts Analysis
      ESA Consultation
    Environmental Justice
      Impacts Analysis
    Biodiversity/Sustainability
    Short-Term and Long-Term Effects and Unavoidable Adverse Effects
    Cumulative Impacts
      Overview
        Historic Impacts Associated with the No Action Alternative
        Historic Impacts to Groundwater/Surface Water Hydrology
        Historic Operations
        Hydrology Modeling
        Historic Effects on the Riparian Resource
        Historic Effects on the Aquatic Resource
      Cumulative Impacts of the Preferred Alternative and Other Alternatives
        Groundwater/Surface Water Hydrology
        Riparian Resources
        Aquatic Resources
    Irreversible and Irretrievable Commitment of Resources
      Endangered Species
Chapter V--Consultation and Coordination
  Public Involvement
    Scoping Summary
    Public Issues and Concerns
    Technical Meetings
    Environmental Commitment Plan
      Water Conservation and Environmental Commitments and Monitoring
    Notice of Intent
  The DEIS
  The FEIS
  Coordination
    Cooperating or Involved Agencies
  Consultation
  Distribution List
    Designated Cooperating Agency Points of Contact
    Congressional Delegation
    Federal Agencies
    Irrigation Districts
    State Agencies and Entities
    Indian Tribes
    Local Government
    Interested Organizations and Others
    Libraries
Chapter VI--List of Preparers
  Other Contributors
Glossary
Conversion Tables
Bibliography
Index
Attachments
Tables
Figures
Table of Contents Executive Summary Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6
Glossary Conversion Tables Bibliography Index Attachments Tables Figures Report to Public