1、 https:/crsreports.congress.gov May 12, 2021Platte River Restoration EffortsBackground The Platte River system, located in the states of Colorado, Nebraska, and Wyoming, supports 15 major dams and reservoirs, which provide water, hydroelectric power, irrigation, flood control, and recreation for abo
2、ut 3.5 million people, as well as habitat for fish and wildlife. Figure 1. Platte River Basin Source: U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Platte River Recovery Implementation Program, 2018, adapted by CRS. Irrigation in the Platte River system was developed in the early 1970s. After passage of the Endangere
3、d Species Act (ESA) in 1973, several species from the region were listed as endangered or threatened. As a result, water conveyance infrastructure in the system was subject to Section 7 consultation under the ESA. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) consulted with federal agencies managing proj
4、ects in the Platte River to determine how projects could operate without harming federally listed species. FWS found that some federal actions that depleted flows in the Platte River were likely to jeopardize one or more listed species (i.e., target species), including the endangered whooping crane,
