Central Seeks New Water Rights
(HOLDREGE, Neb.) — The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is investigating the possibility of obtaining new water rights to help address issues related to surface water shortages caused by a combination of drought and streamflow depletions attributed to overdevelopment of groundwater supplies.
Central recently submitted a request to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR) seeking approval to begin the water right application process.
Central is considering applications for surface water appropriations that would allow the use of infrequent “excess flows” in the Platte River as an alternative source of water for diversion into Elwood Reservoir.
Diversions into Elwood Reservoirs currently come from Lake McConaughy’s water supply. However, inflows to Lake McConaughy in recent years have been too low to justify transferring water to Elwood Reservoir.
Irrigation deliveries, recreation and groundwater recharge benefits have suffered as a consequence of not being able to fill Elwood Reservoir. There is also an increasing risk of damage to or loss of the reservoir’s fishery as declines continue.
Other appropriations being considered would provide intentional recharge of groundwater supplies in Central’s irrigated areas. Intentional recharge would help counter declining groundwater levels in the area and could potentially provide “offsets” for new depletions that may be required by integrated management plans currently under development. LB962, which went into effect in 2004, required the development of integrated management plans for surface water and groundwater in basins identified as fully or over-appropriated. A portion of Central’s service area lies within an area where water supplies have been designated as over-appropriated.
The water source for the proposed new appropriations would be only those Platte River flows that exceed all existing appropriations, including instream flow water rights, target flows established by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for threatened and endangered species, and other state-protected flows as defined in Nebraska’s New Depletions Plan.
Flows in the Platte River that exceed existing appropriations are relatively rare and the cost of obtaining new water rights might not be justified if not for the fact that the facilities that would benefit from the appropriations already exist.
Central must obtain a waiver from DNR before officially seeking new appropriations because a moratorium on new appropriations is in effect for the Platte River.
“Somewhat ironically,” said Natural Resources Manager Mike Drain, “Central believes that the need for new appropriations is the result of the same water shortages and streamflow depletions that resulted in the moratorium on new appropriations in the first place.”
