Wastewater Issues

Drinking water plan to protect source for 3 million

GREEN RIVER, WY — Water storage in Wyoming's Pathfinder Dam would be increased under a basin-wide, three-state recovery program for the Platte River unveiled by federal officials, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.

The Bureau of Reclamation and the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released for review the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program Jan. 23. The Platte River provides drinking water for more than 3 million people, according to the paper.

Environmentalists lauded the draft plan as a critical step in protecting the whooping crane and other species.

Federal officials believe the proposed guidelines will allow hundreds of existing water projects and activities in the Platte River basin to continue under the umbrella of one environmental document, precluding the need for numerous specific environmental assessments that would be required under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), the article said.

Under all of the alternatives, Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming would each provide a water project aimed at increasing water storage capacity. Together, the three state projects would increase target flows by roughly 80,000-acre feet on an annual average basis.