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0 <br />,2 <br />N <br />Comments on Boyle January 17, 2000 Memo). A permit would be required if water <br />generated by these projects is to be protected by Section 46 -252. Due to the uncertainty <br />regarding protection it would be beneficial to locate water management projects in <br />locations as close to the critical habitat as possible to minimize diversion losses. In order <br />to achieve the proposed yields below Kearney, Nebraska, these types of projects would <br />also need to be applied to lands irrigated with groundwater because there is not a <br />sufficient amount of surface water irrigation below Kearney to realize the proposed <br />yields. <br />Agreements, which establish the conditions under which water management projects <br />would be operated, need to be negotiated with irrigation districts or individual farmers. <br />Schedule For Implementation: <br />These projects do not require new construction or infrastructure, therefore, the <br />implementation schedule is based primarily on the resolution of legal and institutional <br />issues. <br />As noted in comments received from Nebraska, the draft schedule for implementing this <br />project is as follows: <br />Year 1 or Year 2: Governance Committee establishes an incentive based program for <br />implementing one or more of the options for reducing shortages through water <br />management incentives. <br />Year 3 to Year ? (will depend on cash flow to the Program and participant willingness): <br />Individual irrigators come to agreement with the Governance Committee to implement <br />one or more of the water management incentive options selected by the Governance <br />Committee. Applications are made and processed by the Nebraska DNR to determine <br />how much, if any, protection can be given under Section 46 -252 to "new water" produced <br />by such implementation. Processing Section 46 -252 applications could take up to one <br />year. <br />Expected Project Life: <br />These projects could be implemented indefinitely depending on the willingness of <br />irrigation districts and/or individual farmers to participate in these voluntary programs. <br />Capital and Operational Costs: <br />The Final Report was relied upon to develop cost estimates for the water management <br />projects. Potential costs associated with third party impacts have not been evaluated. The <br />costs presented below may be higher if there are third party impact costs. In addition, <br />contracts with irrigators or districts need to be renewed on a periodic basis, in which case <br />there may be additional costs associated with permitting or re- negotiating contracts. The <br />annual costs of the representative water management projects are summarized below. <br />\\DNoo\E- DRIVE\PROJECTS\Platte \Work Products \Task 9 \wapc report (Version 7).doc 32 <br />