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\ 0 'b:J I 8 age2 Opinion The Key: Soil and Water Gov, Bob Kerrey said it: Nebraska's soil and water wealth is the key to Its future. It could be the most significant pronouncement of the new governor's four-year term, He was addressing the organizational meeting of Agriculture 2001- itself an extraordinary entry in Nebraska's agenda for the future, Calling for a renewed effort in soil and water management, Kerrey said: "We have made great strides in Nebraska and we can be proud of our commitment, but we need to move decisively and in unison to manage the resource base from which spring our wealth and way of life," Later, in a special news conference to express his views on natural resources, Kerrey declared, "Improvements in our soil resources are an investment in Nebraska's future, They are an investment in our nation's security and our way of life," Gov, Charles Thone, before him, proclaimed the need for develop- ment of Nebraska's soil and water resources as the route to economic progress for the entire state, He enlisted an impressive group of Ne- braskans fo assist in this effort and in the corollary commitment to ex- pand markets for the state's agricultural bounty. If ever there were a truly bi-partisan. total-Nebraska mission. this is it: It should be approached with support and enthusiasm that crosses party, geographic and occupational lines. The High Plains study, recently completed, asserts Nebraska's opportunity: as water supplies diminish in states to the south of us, Nebraska can at least double its irrigated acreage to make up for lost production to the south and can bring in the associated processing activity to create industrial employment: Now a new study, just released, reinforces this blueprint for the future. Commissioned by the state's Department of Economic Devel- opment, the $100,000 report on Nebraska's opportunities for economic growth was prepared by the prestigious Arthur D, Little firm, It cites the state's prospects for industries based on soil and water resources and, though probably not prominently enough displayed, it carries these passages: "Because of the availability of water for irrigation in Nebraska (and the declining availability of water in the southern High Plains), sub- stantial increases in corn production in Nebraska are expected to con- tinue, Nebraska has also captured an increasing share of sorghums and soybean production and this is likely to continue, "Grain production, in turn, also influences the location of feedlots.... As the cultivation of irrigated corn and sorghums declines in the South, industry experts believe that fed cattle production is likely to shift back toward the more traditional corn belt feeding areas.. "If cattle feeding does shift to Nebraska over the next few years, major meat packing operations could follow at some later date, In fact, some meat packing companies have indicated that if they had to recon- sider their recent invesfments in Texas and Kansas at this time, they would more than likely be looking much more favorably at Nebraska locations." The authors recommend that Nebraska upgrade its industrial devel- opment efforts targeted on the food processing and associated indus- tries, a theme frequently advanced by Gov. Kerrey. To further capitalize on grain production, the report also suggets a 'locus on special investment incentives, market subsidies (e,g., for gasohol), and technology support." This obviously relates to expand- ed utilization of grain as a substitute for petroleum in a broad range of products, as stressed by Gov. Thone, The Agriculture 2001 mission will spend the coming year studying Nebraska's agriculture and natural resources into the future and then ,nake recommendations for the role and activities of the University of Nebraska Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. At its January meeting, Chairman Jim Roberts of Lexington said the exercise will identify the strengths and the problems of the state in relation to its goals for the future and then propose solutions, University Regent John Payne of Kearney said Agriculture 2001 has it", potential to join those rare events and persons who have had major, lasting impact on the University's development: It can be that kind of a milestone. In the same manner, the extension of this effort beyond the Univer- ,;rty and past the coming year, as advocated by Nebraska's present and immediate past governors, can be an equally notable milestone for the whole state, l1esources Legislation I here'II be plenty of big bills on re- C:OII, ces, those regularly chronicled h~1 the daily news media. L.B 198, to give statutory recogni- i.lDfl to groundwater recharge and 111"'" surface storage projects to Closes; for recharged supplies, prob- ,:bly will be most far-reaching, It has 11 cll-introducers. 1'lost controversial likely will be _"", Hoagland's LB381 giving qfnuddwater preference to munici- I,nl IIse above agricultural and LB,,>J6 providing protection of in- !ream flows, I'~(jst interesting should be pro- ,'''sal by Public Works Chairman I ,jean Schmit to allocate 10% of ';",Ie neneral fund to soil and water ,o,k It's buried on page 40 of Scllndt's extensive revision of state rtj\l,~nlJe-sharjng but is sure to at- rmd appropriate attention before Jussiun's end, It's the only legisla- 11"(; entry specifically aimed at cre- :li"U significant funding of soil and water projects, Then there'll be a passel of other measures, many important in their own right, that will tend to get lost in day-to-day news shuffle, Among them: . LB379 defining "best manage, ment practices" tor efficient use of irrigation water. Term was intro- duced in last year's LB375 setting up groundwater management areas, but wasn't defined. Bill makes such practices whatever determined by NRD board as "using the least amount of groundwater practica- ble" to raise crop; also reqUires such practices be instituted as part of management area if water table de- clines by 2 1/2% of saturated thick- ness over five years. . LB247 requiring restoration of native vegetation on soils subject to soil erosion when land no longer is cultivated; aimed at irrigation aban- donment problem in Sandhi lis, . LB236 adding "Soil" to Nebras- Regional Resources Water Project Differences Missouri Basin Slales representa- tives nathered in Denver last month to compare notes on water planning processes, part of Missouri Basin States Association move toward im- proved understanding basin-wide, Nebraska presentation noted the state's water planning process now is at crossroads: pOlicy issue studies initiated in 1978 beinn completed: Legislature starting to consider recommendations: new administra- tion must determine its course in coordination of interagency activi- ties and emphasis it will put on water prolect planning, Presentation relates that Nebras, ka "dramatically" altered its ap- proach to state water planning in 1978 by changing Irom long range basin,oriented "state water plan" to flexible planning process initially stressing short,term studies of spe' cific water issues. With this phase reaching fulfill- ment-where do we go from here? Navigation water needs in Missouri River below Sioux City could be treated as depletion of stream tlow for purposes of water accounting system being prepared by MBSA, That was one idea advanced at the Denver meeting. Even thoug h navigation is not a consumptive use of water. depletion treatment would show how it allects current demands and where con- flicts over water use would start-so goes the reasoning behind this thesis, Missouri Congressman Robert Young reports generally favorable response to his federal legislation callinn for interstate compact for Missouri Basin. But upstream inter- ests remain skeptical of whnt Young and his co,introducers, including Rep, Douglas Bereuter of Nebraska, will mclude in the bill; they'd rather have it come from the states up than from the Congress down. Being advanced by some up' stream interests as a simplified ap' proach to the compact IS a plan merely to set upper limit for amount of water for transfer out of Missouri Basin, based on accounting sys- tem's finding of amount available for that purpose, That would allow any state to sell Missouri River water out of the basin until the agreed upon limit is reached, This would not preclude competition among states for out- of-basin water customers; every state for itself. But it does bring the inter-basin transfer issue into the compact equation-which many close to the situation view as vital. InterNorth entry into the Energy Transportation Systems Inc, (ETSI) partnership could have profound ef- fect on squabble over Missouri River water for coal slurry pipeline, ka Water Conservation Act. is aimed at broadening soil conservation practices possible with state sup- port, making practices generally square with federal work eligible for funds, . LB37 removing requirement that elected members of Natural Re- sources Commission be or have been a director of a natural resourc- es district. Intended to broaden Commission membership beyond farmers generally elected from farmer-dominated NRD boards, N RDs expected to oppose; Com- mission split 8-8 in ellort to take position, . LB232 providing that NRD direc- tors elected from subdivisions (as all but one at'large director in each district are) will be chosen only by voters in that subdivision. They're now elected by voters throughout the district. Indications are the consortium might undergo some restructuring With InterNorth, headquartered in Omaha, assuminn a dominant role, InterNorth's 29,5% of the partner- ship, along with Kansas,Nebraska Gas Co.'s 20% ownership, puts vir- tually half the enterprise in hands of potent Nebraska corporations, Issue will reappear in Nebraska Legislature this year, in LB559 to permit coal slurry companies to condemn rights'of-way owned by other enterprises with eminent do- main powers-namely railroads, chief opponents of slurry piping, It puts two Nebraska corporate titans, InterNorth and Union Pacific. on a collision course, Should make for fascinating theater, but agoniz- ing politics, Federal court ruling saying EI Paso, Tex., has right to cross state line to pump water from New Mexico has ominous signs for Nebraska and other western states, says a leader of New Mexican fight to repel Texas water invaders. Bill Saad, manager of Elephant Butte Irrigation District at Las Cru- ces, where more than 300 EI Paso municipal wells would be drilled, tells NRR the rulmg will be appealed to circuit court in Denver; decision expected before year's end, Saad sees this as one more nail in water collin at Western agricultur- ists, First, he says. was Nebraska's Sporehase case, knocking out part of the state's prohibition against export ot water, Then the Vermejo River case in which U,S, Supreme Court ruled in December that Colo- rado Fuel and Iron, rather than New Mexico farmers, is entitled to 4,000 acre feet of water from that river, "Folks down here figure we're gonna end up with a lot of rich law, yers and dry farmers," Saad reports, New Mexico decision recalls little- noted warning late last year by Vince Dreeszen, director of Univer- sity of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division: "Where water is available, somebody will be eyeing it," At Nebraska Stock Growers Asso- ciation conference on Sandhills irri- gation. Dreeszen predicted that within 10 years Nebraska could face plans for "massive water diversions out of the Sandhills," Under those grassy hills is probably the largest body ot underground water in U.S, -almost certain to draw interest from water-short areas, Dreeszen reasons. These views were backed by Dave Aiken, University water law special- ist. "It is just a matter of time before people west of us look at the Sand- hills to see how they can get some of the water," he said, A high level disagreement that could profoundly attect future water plans in Nebraska is about to emerge from the technical drawing boards to the policy'making tables, The points at issue could extend to the divvying up of water among the MiSSOUri Basin states, The question revolves around the degree to which pumping of underground water near a stream depletes the flow in that stream, Planners in the U,S. Bureau of Reclamation and the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission see a significant link between these actions, Nebraska's chief hydrological experts-Mike Jess. director of the Department of Water Resources, and Vince Dreeszen, director of the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division, and their stalls-agree but see considerably less stream depletion from groundwater pumping, At stake are estimates of future water availability for projects pro- posed to use water from the Platte and other major rivers passing through areas of pump irrigation. More imminent are figures to be used in the water accounting system being assembled by the Missouri Basin States Association, Designed to provide a computerized model of the Missouri Basin waters, which includes all of Nebraska's flowing streams, its principal purpose will be to assess future water availability throughout the basin, It could be a factor in any inter,state compact allocating water among the states-if projections ot stream flows in Nebraska show a large amount of depletion because of pumping, this state could be allotted less water than if the anticipated tlows were larger, The MBSA report assumes a direct but time-dependent impact of groundwater pumping within seven miles of the Platte resulting in streamflow depletion, One attitude by Nebraska hydrologists is that the MBSA study design selected finds "lots of depletion" and is not based on actual experience, One conclusion is that "any continuing support for this type of work, either verbally or financially, can only be at the expense of truth and the detriment ot Nebraska and other basin states," If this difference of opinion is not resolved, credibility of the MBSA accounting system could be jeopardized in Nebraska. Meetings between the Nebraskans and representatives of the Bureau and MBSA have brought a better understanding of each other's views. Jess says, with neither side claiming absolute correctness, Much of the disagreement stems from the MBSA's use of a fixed formula as opposed to Dreeszen's contention that the depletion factor varies from basin to basin and that "the Platte is a whole different animaL" Dreeszen says the argument for high depletion rates is based on both the withdrawal of water by pumping and the evapo,transportation effect of water escaping through densely-growing plants, But he contends that the cultivated vegetation of today doesn't re- lease any more water than the original grass in pre-settlement days and that if pumping didn't keep the water table somewhat below the surface, much of the underground water would be lost from evaporation from the top levels of soil. Future irrigation in the Cedar Yalley of central Nebraska is keenly affected by the stream depletion controversy, A long'studied irrigation project there is being discouraged by the Bureau of Reclamation which feels pump irrigation has or will use too much of the flow of the Cedar River, a tributary of the Loup. to support a surface project. /--c Dreeszen and Jess have advised project sponsors that "the Bureau's forecast of future hydrologic conditions paints a far too gloomy picture," Such encouragement comes at a crucial time for backers of the project. Authorization for the Cedar Valley Reclamation District expires this year and must receive voter approval to be extended another 15 years. Michael Shaughnessy of St. Paul, attorney for the district. says this "critical" vote probably will be scheduled for late this spring, The Platte River's prospects as a source of additional irrigation activity is a somewhat dillerent story. In spite of his optimistic views on stream depletion, Jess doesn't expect more than one more irrigation project to be built using Platte flows above Columbus, His view, which is not shared by Dreeszen or some Resources Commission planners, is based more on economic, political and social factors than on water supply. Present uncertainties about future availability of Platte water would be magnified If one more project is built there, he reasons, This would discourage the commitment of private or public funds for any addi- tional projects and would heighten opposition from environmentalists, municipalities and other competing water interests, he figures, A half dozen separate project proposals counting on Platte water are presently lined up, While avoiding any favoritism, Jess gauges the proposals this way: -The lillie Blue proposal for the Catherland project appears to be turthest along with planning and feasibility studies, - The Prairie Bend and Twin Valley proposals in Buffalo-Hall Counties are currently in the spotlight trying to get federal feasibility studies started. -The Upper Big Blue proposal for irrigation in the York-Aurora area-tied in with the Plum Creek reservoir envisioned by the Tri- County Public Power and Irrigation District and the Whooping Crane Trust which seeks water in the Platte in early spring on its way eastward to the Upper Blue-probably has the broadest political backing. -Proposals for the Enders project in southwestern Nebraska and the Twin Plalle's use of a Perkins County water right for the Ogallala area are farther behind in planning, Federal Resources Groundwater recharge will be back in congressional spotlight this year, with Nebraska Congressman Doug Bereuter's reintroduction of legisla' tion calling for demonstration pro, jects across the West on how under- ground water supplies can be re- charged, Bill also would add recharge to benefits figured in Bureau of Recla' mation projects, Noting widespread support for measure last year, Bereuter proba- bly will abandon earlier plan to hold hearings in Nebraska and other western states. "The Commissioner of Reclama- tion (Roberl Broadbent) and other noted water experts have assured me that there is great need for this legislation, All the testimony re- ceived was favorable," Bereuter says, Only change in this yei:u's iJiit will be to extend it to all western recla, mation states, not just High Plains: should widen support even more, Bereuter reasons. He tigures Nebraska, with excep- tional capacity for groundwater re- charge, will be principal beneficiary from added recharge intelligence, ~ '~ ----,--,-~----r;;, - ."1" " "" ". <, "I , ~ , ". r,,,;'\ .... ,...;;." """ j.. .~Jt': .~." .,. YO:' , -c-----;--:..,~'--c,j.\ , --:'--,. .' ,'.... " ,,'----, ['--".I'-~,:---.-.., ,"" I --..... . Ie' .."",, ~ .,I. ",."",~'.." I"'''' ~ I . I"',,"'''~'-'I " \ \ ",I""i, j" ! .'') -..., > ~\ ) \. '.~ (, ,(.;; /' ~,::--......... '~1 .\: 1"'< "~..' . ..' "'" ,,~ .\ -,( ;., .J" ':',.< '{1.) . ~- ~ " "., .' ...,/""","",.l' "u" p.... '.,",1, ,~~'",.\ ~ I ,I I "::"" ,"".l\.'.IH.". .", '" ~ ;")- "_n 4 ~ : ~ . , ., '"' ~ ~ ',';' j' I '. ,', .]' '.'\"'" ",'. .... .~ ..., ~'" Energy Resources Determined effort to slow down soaring prices of natural gas and propane will be made by Legisla- ture, but success wifl be elusive; there's not much state lawmakers can do, Sen, Loran Schmit vows to make this high priority item for Public Works Committee, notes his own experience in paying nearly three times as much for propane last year as in 1981. "These energy costs will kill us if we don't get them worked out." Schmit asserts, He sees promotion and possible state support of alternate sources of energy-solar, alcohol, wind. geo- thermal-as one way to attack prob- lem, .1 I .1 ,- ,.-,-, ,.;" ~. ... 't\.. " ~, ~ ~' ~ ." '. ~ ... I I ~, I." ~ 'H', I'''~ ~'''G, 8"5__'" ~ ", I.".:..~ ~ ,>. _'j "', I ".. " (, 1 I ..4~ '~.~. " I" ~ - i ' ..".,:--",' .... l.'.,"-' 'f.. ,,' ... ~ ~ '''' '.... " '. 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",;, . .. ., -\ ,,~..- .. -' '. ,~:-, ,] . , Possible Water Storage Sites A total of 272 possible sites for water storage prolects In Nebraska are identified on this map prepared by the University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division, Of these sites for 1,000 acre feet or more of storage, 59 have dams constructed or under construction: 213 not yet developed, A small number of the undeveloped sites have been rejected by some agency, Site locations were gathered from 30 local, state and federal agencies, The map, with explanatory tables, will be part of a forthcoming policy issue study on supplemental water supply in Nebraska to be published by the Natural Resources Commission.