Despite Kansas threats, NRDs say it's business as usual

It's business as usual for irrigators in the Republican River Basin of Nebraska, officials said in a release this week.

Despite recent water usage claims from Kansas, authorities from the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican Natural Resources Districts say that they will continue with efforts already in place.

On Dec. 19, 2007, the State of Nebraska Department of Natural Resources received a letter from Kansas Chief Engineer David W. Barfield; this correspondence stated that Nebraska was out of compliance with the Republican River Compact Settlement, and made a list of demands upon Nebraska's portion of the Republican valley.

The three NRDs are presenting a united front, stating that ongoing progress within the basin will be enough to maintain compliance over the long term. The main concern of these NRDs is to implement programs that will allow for flows to Kansas during dry years, while maintaining a balance between Nebraska's targeted consumptive and long term water supplies.

"The districts will continue to work with the state, assuming our share of the responsibility in this matter," said Dan Smith, manager of the Middle Republican NRD.

This working relationship includes implementation of new Integrated Management Plans, mapping out future irrigation and water use within each district. The Middle Republican NRD adopted its IMP Tuesday, the Upper Republican NRD's plan was approved in mid-December, and the Lower Republican NRD's will go to public hearing later this month.

"I believe that the new IMPs, and the controls the districts will adopt to implement the new plans, will enable us to reduce our consumptive use as we move forward," stated Mike Clements, manager of the Lower Republican NRD, noting steps being taken throughout the basin.

All three NRDs have agreed to reduce groundwater pumping. Measures taken by the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican NRDs aim to keep their respective districts within each's allowable depletions to the virgin water supply, as mandated by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. The main difference between the goals of these new IMPs and Kansas's proposed remedy is that of surface water buyouts.

"The plans we've been working on are based on long-term water supplies," Fanning said. "The surface water leases we have undertaken have, and will continue to supply wet water to Kansas in dry years; and that is what they have indicated they would like."

Among the remedies proposed by Kansas was to cease pumping from all wells within 2.5 miles of the Republican River and its tributaries, and those added after the year 2000. This action is one opposed by both the State and the NRDs, as it is the least efficient means of meeting targeted depletions, and has the potential to create devastating effects for producers within the basin.

"What we're doing will accomplish the same thing, hydrologically, that Kansas is trying to do," Fanning stated of Nebraska's ongoing efforts. "Our solution, however, comes at a much lower economic cost to the State of Nebraska."