Program Components

The Program uses incentive-based water projects to keep enough water flowing through the central Platte River to support habitat for target species. In this first phase, the focus is on improving flow timing and reducing shortages by about 130,000 to 150,000 acre-feet each year. Spring pulse flows also help create open sandbars, giving plovers and terns the bare nesting areas they need.

The Program’s first step is to protect and restore 10,000 acres of habitat. Over the long term, the goal is to grow that number to about 29,000 acres along the central Platte River between Lexington and Chapman. Acres protected now, along with qualifying lands managed by partners like conservation groups and irrigation districts, all count toward this shared vision.

The Program relies on an Adaptive Management Plan —a science-based process for testing ideas and learning what works best. Developed with input from partners, cooperators, and experts nationwide, the plan focuses on key questions about how the river functions and how to most effectively reach Program goals.