NRD ready to set taxation rates

Although the numbers aren't firm yet, The Middle Republican Natural Re-sources District directors will decide what to levy in property and occupation taxes, at its regular meeting Tuesday night, 7:30 in Curtis at the Legion Hall.

Preliminary numbers recommended by Ameritas Fin-ancial Services, the bonding company being used by the Republican River Basin NRDs, are 04.6 cents per $100 property valuation with occupation taxes at $6.80 per irrigated acre, for the Middle Republican Basin.

These taxes would affect property owners in Red Willow, Hitchcock, Frontier and Hayes counties.

Dan Smith, MRNRD general manager, indicated that these numbers could still be tweaked.

"We are still revising the numbers for both the bond assessment and the regular budget, " he said. "I do not have all the county treasurers' reports yet. We will have to take action on a budget that will include the best guess of these numbers. That action will go to hearing with a budget proposal that can always be revised down."

The taxes will be part of the budget for next year. The MRNRD board also will be asked to approve this budget at Tuesday's meeting, with a hearing set for September.

LB701, passed this year by the Nebraska Legislature to address water owed to Kansas, gave the Republican River Basin NRDs the option to levy taxes to pay for surface water rights purchased from irrigators.

The three NRDs in the Republican River Basin agreed in June to purchase surface water from three irrigation districts for $8.6 million. The total amount of the 4-year bond is $9.78 million, that includes interest.

This water will then be sent downstream from the Harlan Reservoir to Kansas in an effort to meet water allotments set forth in the 1943 compact that distributes water from the Republican River among Nebraska, Kansas and Colorado.

The board also will be asked to approve revisions from the Groundwater Management Committee, concerning the public hearing Aug. 30 in McCook.

The board will consider pumping allocations for the next five years at this hearing, set for 7 p.m., at Memorial Auditorium. The allocation will then be up for approval at the regular September meeting.

At its July meeting, the MRNRD board approved the preliminary number at 12 inches; currently allocations stand at 13 inches. Smith clarified at the July meeting that this number could be increased but not decreased.

Other discussion items on the agenda include:

* letter of implementation of LB 701. The Natural Resources Committee has requested from the Republican River NRDs to give a written report to the committee on how they are enacting provisions set forth by LB701.

A hearing of those reports will be July 31 at North Platte.

* water used for the 42-inch natural gas pipeline being constructed across Nebraska.

The Rockies Express pipeline will be pressured-tested after construction by pumping it full of water, with water purchased from existing irrigation wells.

The MRNRD is discussing with the state about how this will be done, Smith said.

It will take about 1.1 acre feet of water per mile to fill this pipe, not a significant amount, according to Smith.

The 1,679-mile long pipeline begins at Rio Blanco County, Colo. and ends in Monroe County in Ohio.