Figure 1. 2001 land cover map (detail).Background: The states of Nebraska, Wyoming, and Colorado, and the US Department of the Interior have entered into a cooperative agreement partnership to address endangered species (whooping crane, piping plover, least tern, pallid sturgeon) issues affecting the Platte River Basin. The purposes of the initiative are:
- To improve and conserve habitat for four threatened and endangered species that use the Platte River in Nebraska.
- To develop and implement a recovery program for these species.
- To enable existing and new water uses in the Platte River Basin to proceed without additional actions required for the four species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
The Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST) is a cooperative effort to improve understanding of the hydrological and geological conditions in the Platte River Basin in Nebraska, upstream of Columbus, Nebraska. A group of Nebraskan interests have joined together to develop scientifically supportable assessments of the region based on hydrological analyses and modeling.
Project Goal: The Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST) is a cooperative effort to improve understanding of the hydrological and geological conditions in the Platte River Basin in Nebraska, upstream of Columbus, Nebraska.
Objectives:
- Assist in developing appropriate regulation and management for Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts along the Platte River.
- Provide objective data and analyses to guide development of sound policies and procedures used to manage groundwater and surface water resources.
- Support Nebraska citizens interested in assessing proposed activities affecting Platte River Basin wildlife and natural resources.
- To improve and conserve habitat for four threatened and endangered species that use the Platte River in Nebraska.
- To develop and implement a recovery program for these species.
- To enable existing and new water uses in the Platte River Basin to proceed without additional actions required for the four species listed under the Endangered Species Act.
Funding for this project has been provided through grants from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
