Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River Hardback

The tension between wildlife protection under the Endangered Species Act andwater management in the Platte River Basin has existed for more than 25 years.

ThePlatte River provides important habitat for migratory and breeding birds, includingthree endangered or threatened species: the whooping crane, the northern GreatPlains population of the piping plover, and the interior least tern.

The leading factorsattributed to the decline of the cranes are historical overhunting and widespreadhabitat destruction and, for the plovers and terns, human interference duringnesting and the loss of riverine nesting sites in open sandy areas that have beenreplaced with woodlands, sand and gravel mines, housing, and roadways.

Extensivedamming has disrupted passage of the endangered pallid sturgeon and resulted inless suitable habitat conditions such as cooler stream flows, less turbid waters, andinconsistent flow regimes.

Commercial harvesting, now illegal, also contributed tothe decline of the sturgeon. Endangered and Threatened Species of the Platte River addresses the habitat requirementsfor these federally protected species.

The book further examines the scientificaspects of the U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service's instream-flow recommendations andhabitat suitability guidelines and assesses the science concerning the connectionsamong the physical systems of the river as they relate to species' habitats. Table of ContentsFront MatterSummary1 Introduction2 Regional Context for Water and Species3 Law, Science, and Management Decisions4 Scientific Data for the Platte River Ecosystem5 Whooping Crane6 Piping Plover and Interior Least Tern7 Pallid Sturgeon8 Conclusions and RecommendationsReferencesAppendix A: Biographical Information on Committee MembersAppendix B: Bird Species of Conservation Concern in NebraskaAppendix C: Confirmed Whooping Crane Sightings in Central Platte River Study Area, 1942-2003Appendix D: Input Data for Figures 5-6 a and 5-6b