Water Management Committee Meeting

The Water Management Committee (Committee) meeting began at 1:30 p.m. at the Nebraska State Office Building in Lincoln, Nebraska. The committee reviewed the agenda items and added the water conservation notebooks to the agenda.

The current Scope of Work includes a Phase II, which identifies work tasks related to the Action Plan. The Action Plan will require analysis of third party effects that would be better addressed by the Platte River EIS team or other technical resources, rather than the consultant. The Platte River EIS team could be a resource used to evaluate the effects of the water conservation and supply measures that are identified in the reconnaissance study. The consultant could be retained to assist the Governance Committee with formulating the proposed alternative under the water conservation and supply action plan.

The following work items are needed from a consultant.

1. Evaluate hydrologic opportunities with hydrologic effects to provide additional water at the habitat

2. Identify concerns and/or issues that should be addressed

The Scope of Work will be revised to remove Phase II and add a Task 8 that identifies the consultant's role of assistance to the Governance Committee to develop the Action Plan. The words evaluate and feasibility will be removed since the consultant only needs to identify concerns and/or issues. Jon Altenhofen will provide other changes as discussed to the Committee Chairman via Fax.

The water conservation and supply notebooks should include copies of statutes and policies, limitations, bibliography of existing reports, and a list of individuals that can be contacted for additional information. The notebooks should include information for both water conservation and water supply subjects. Information in the notebooks will be shared with the consultants, three states, and the Department of Interior.

A draft Request for Proposal (RFP) packet was provided to the Committee just prior to the conclusion of the meeting. The Selection Committee and Water Management Committee members were asked to review the RFP packet and offer comments. The RFP packet will be sent to all the firms asked to submit a proposal.

The next meeting will be held in Cheyenne, Wyoming, on January 12, 1998. The meeting will begin at 1:00 p.m. and end at 5:00 p.m. The meeting adjourned shortly after 5:45 p.m.