I haven’t seen anyone post this yet, but with all the recent rain and this recent article – It looks like Elwood will be getting some water. 
(HOLDREGE, Neb.) — The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors approved an agreement with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the Tri-Basin Natural Resources District that will lead to diversion of water to Elwood Reservoir when flows in the Platte River exceed target flows set by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
The board took the action at Monday’s monthly meeting. The diversions will also be subject to approval by the Central Platte Natural Resources District and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. The agreement is in effect for the rest of the year.
“We’re just so pleased that we were able to work with Central and Game and Parks to reach this agreement,” said TBNRD Manager John Thorburn. “We all agree that it’s an important need to put water into Elwood to protect the lake’s fishery and economic benefits and to provide groundwater recharge for the area and recharge that will augment stream flows in Plum Creek and tributaries in the Republican Basin.”
Some of the water that seeps from Elwood Reservoir finds its way from the Platte Basin to the Republican Basin. The State of Nebraska receives credit for water that moves from Central’s hydro-irrigation system in the Platte watershed to the Republican watershed in the state’s Republican River settlement agreement with Kansas.
Central will receive compensation from TBNRD and NGPC in the amount of $8.80 per acre-foot diverted to offset lost hydropower generation revenue if Central diverts water into Elwood Reservoir instead of passing it through the Johnson No. 1 and No. 2 hydroplants. The two agencies will split the costs equally.
To conserve water in Lake McConaughy, Central has not used Elwood Reservoir for irrigation operations since 2004. Central has worked with NGPC, CPNRD and DNR on several occasions since then to divert water to the reservoir when flow rates in the Platte River have permitted. In those cases, CPNRD and NGPC — which hold instream water rights on the Platte River — had to first agree to permit the diversions.
Central staff is hopeful that water will be available for diversion to Elwood later this month after FWS target flows in the Platte River drop to a lower level.
Also, here is a pic of a tiger that my father-in-law caught last saturday.
