Water's for sale, but who's buying?

CURTIS -- The Frenchman Valley Irrigation District and the Riverside Irrigation District in Culbertson have both offered to sell their water to the Middle Republican Natural Resources District, but whether the MRNRD or the state will purchase the water is still undecided at this time.

Board directors of the MRNRD will consider participation in the water purchases at their regular meeting Thursday, 7:30 p.m., in Curtis at the Legion Hall.

Roger Kolbert of the Riverside Irrigation Company, first proposed the water purchases at the Feb. 13 MRNRD meeting in Curtis.

According to Dan Smith, MRNRD general manager, board directors may choose to let the state work on agreements to buy the water as it would be an easier process at this time.

Frenchman Valley has proposed $1 million and Riverside, $160,000, for the purchases.

Both districts sold their water to the MRNRD for slightly less in 2007, Smith said, with Frenchman Valley for $640,000 and Riverside for $126,000.

Prior to the the meeting, a public hearing will be held to hear testimony regarding a variance from the district's groundwater management area rules and regulations for the proposed water purchase.

The variance will protect irrigators in those districts if the purchase is approved and would be from supplemental wells and allocations that require a user on the irrigation ditch subtract the amount of water they transferred to the State or NRD from their groundwater allocation.

Also at Thursday's meeting, the board will hear a report on the Republican River Compact Administration meeting in Kansas City, legislative hearings and activities, be asked to approve the district's financial audit and hear from Traci Witthuhn of the Republican River Basin Coalition concerning loan preparation and grant application.

The MRNRD has scheduled a special meeting Monday, March 17 in North Platte at the Nebraska Public Power office to provide information to board directors regarding groundwater management.

Scheduled speakers include Frank Kwapnioski of the NPPD, Jim Goeke of the University of Nebraska/Lincoln and Justin Lavene, special council to the Nebraska Attorney General.

The meeting is open to the public and no action is planned. The board has reserved the option of entering into an executive session at this meeting if necessary.