Bureau of Reclamation: Platte River Recovery Program

Platte River Recovery Program

Contact: Mark Andersen, (406) 247-7609

The President's FY 2009 budget request for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program is $11.5 million. Platte River habitat is essential to the recovery of the whooping crane, interior least tern, piping plover, and pallid sturgeon (all threatened or endangered species). In 2006, the Governors of Wyoming, Colorado and Nebraska, along with the Secretary of the Interior, signed the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Agreement (Agreement).

The Agreement provides measures to help recover the four endangered or threatened species, thereby enabling existing water projects in the Platte River Basin to continue operations, as well as new water projects to be developed in compliance with the Endangered Species Act (ESA). A Governance Committee to oversee implementation of the recovery program was created by the Program Agreement, with representatives from the Interior's lead agencies (the Bureau of Reclamation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), each of the three states, Platte Basin water users, and environmental organizations.

Legislation was introduced in the 110th Congress to authorize the Secretary of the Interior, through the Bureau of Reclamation, and in partnership with the states of Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado, other Federal agencies, and other non-Federal entities to participate in the implementation the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program for Endangered Species in the central and lower Platte River Basin and to modify the Pathfinder Dam and Reservoir. No federal appropriations are required to modify the Pathfinder Dam. Initial expenditures, authorized by Public Law 93-205 (ESA) will include Program activities required other than actual acquisition of land and/or waters, including contracting for habitat restoration projects.

The Recovery Program is being implemented in an incremental manner, and the first increment of 13 years began January 1, 2007. Program costs are estimated at $317 million, with the Federal share being $157 million (2005 dollars). The Agreement stipulates that the Federal government will provide 50 percent of the Program contributions with the States providing the remaining 50 percent of the financial and programmatic contributions.