Governor proposes $500 million canal and reservoir project

Nebraska Governor Pete Ricketts has announced a $500 million project to divert South Platte River water to a new Nebraska canal and reservoir.
The Associated Press reports the project would include a canal in rural Perkins County in southwest Nebraska and storage facilities.  
Upper Republican Natural Resource District Assistant Manager Nate Jenkins said that is only a possibility at this point and the URNRD has had no involvement with the Governor’s announcement or proposal.
Jenkins also said there’s no indication that the URNRD will be involved.
The district could still see some benefits, he added.
A reservoir could help recharge district groundwater, though Jenkins is not sure how wide spread the benefits could be.
The 1923 South Platte River Compact between Colorado and Nebraska entitles Nebraska to 120 cubic feet of water per second from the river during the irrigation season between April 1 and Oct. 15, and 500 cubic feet per second during the non-irrigation season.
Colorado recently released a report of 282 possible new projects along the South Platte River as the state expects a population jump of 42% to 70% along the river basin before the year 2050.
With changing weather patterns, the report warned of possible affects to streamflow.
In a press conference last week, Ricketts said Nebraska would invoke its rights under the South Platte River Compact amid concerns that Colorado’s plans for the river could reduce water flows into Nebraska by as much as 90%.
Nebraska’s agricultural and power industries could be hard hit and reduced flows would likely affect water supplies in Omaha and Lincoln.
“We are very concerned about what is going to happen with these projects,” Ricketts said at the  news conference.
The reduced streamflows “are going to have a dramatic impact on our ability to feed the world,” Ricketts added.
Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said Colorado has been issuing water usage permits that would cut into Nebraska’s rightful share.
Peterson added Nebraska officials grew increasingly concerned about Colorado’s ability to deliver water as it deals with its own shortages.
According to the Associated Press, under the compact, Nebraska can build, maintain and operate canals within Colorado’s borders to divert water from the South Platte River for use by Nebraska.
It also gives Nebraska the power to buy land from Colorado landowners or gain access by invoking eminent domain, which will be key as part of Rickett’s project proposes infrastructure on Colorado’s side of the border.
Nebraska’s move is likely to trigger lawsuits between the states as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has said he will “protect and aggressively assert” his state’s water rights.
Ricketts is preaching the same message to Nebraska lawmakers.
“We must act to preserve, protect, manage, and steward our water supply for our future Nebraskans,” Ricketts said in his annual State of the State address.