U.S. Water News Online
LINCOLN, Neb. -- Gov. Dave Heineman is pleading with natural resource districts for more cooperation on difficult water issues facing the state, but he could have a hard time getting it in some of the most water-short basins.
Heineman repeatedly stated the urgency of water problems in the state, most notably in the Republican River basin, when speaking before roughly 200 board members and staff of natural resource districts across the state during their annual legislative conference.
"We need to work together to solve these challenges," Heineman said, adding that the state needs more input from the districts on their goals related to water-shortage issues.
"I'm committed that this year we're going to make real progress," he said. "We can't afford to put off these issues."
An ongoing drought, too many irrigation wells and a legal obligation to share water with Kansas have put Nebraska in a pinch. But divisions between the state and the districts will have to be overcome for the issues to be addressed cooperatively.
While pleased that Heineman is offering state help to solve what some see as local problems -- the governor wants to create a fund for water issues that would include nearly $3 million annually in state money -- some resource district board members say they distrust the lead state agency on water issues, the Department of Natural Resources.
They added that they have shouldered more than their fair share of blame for problems confronting the region.
"We're getting blamed for things we didn't cause," such as the drought and evaporation from reservoirs, said Marty Schurr, a member of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District board, during a break in the meeting.
Schurr and other members of the board said data from previous years that was the basis for decisions to reduce allocations to irrigators proved faulty, leading to actions that didn't solve the problems that could eventually lead to the state paying Kansas for water Nebraska owes it.
They now lack confidence in new data behind some suggestions from the state, including one that has riled irrigators in the region.
"It's hard to look at their figures with any confidence at all," added Ben Loomis, also a member of the Middle Republican board.
Nebraska has overused its compact allocation in the Republican basin the last three years, and estimates show the state could be short 200,000 acre feet.
Heineman has angered some irrigators by placing some blame on an increase in irrigated acres. He has framed it as the type of honest assessment needed by all parties to remedy the state's water problems.
A sign that he wants more input from resources districts emerged, when he had audience members raise their hands in response to some questions.
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