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a <br />4. GROUNDWATER MANAGEMENT <br />0 Location: <br />Based on the principles submitted by Nebraska, groundwater management has been <br />limited to a total yield of no more than 6,000 ac -ft/yr until it can be successfully <br />demonstrated through a phased -in project that groundwater mining will not occur at this <br />level. Nebraska has indicated they will not consider expanding groundwater management <br />unless further investigation and study reveals that higher yields can be sustained. <br />Nebraska also intends to reserve as much of the yield of this project as Nebraska believes <br />is necessary to- offset new depletions in that state. However, Nebraska currently <br />estimates that 1,400 ac -ft/yr of the yield of this project would be in addition to that <br />needed for new depletion offset and therefore could be made available to the Program. <br />That is the yield used for purposes of the analysis in this plan. <br />A 13,000 -acre area located under the Phelps Canal system is a potential groundwater <br />management area due to high groundwater tables. The area is bounded by the Phelps <br />Canal to the south and east, by the Township 6 line to the north, and by the Funk Odessa <br />Road to the west. Another groundwater management area being considered by Tri-Basin <br />Natural Resources District (TBNRD) is the Reynold's and Robb Wetland, which is <br />located in Section 10, Township 8 North, Range 21 West. This area is approximately 60 <br />acres in size and is currently managed for wildlife under an agreement with the Rainwater <br />Basin Joint Venture. Other potential groundwater management areas in Phelps and <br />Kearney Counties include approximately 22,000 acres in Township 7 North, Ranges 18 <br />and 19 West, and 23,000 acres in Townships 6 and 7 North and Ranges 15, 16, and 17 <br />West. <br />0 Basic Description: <br />Groundwater management can be accomplished in a number of ways. Several options <br />that could be implemented to manage the groundwater mound are described below. <br />Option 1: Active Groundwater Pumping from High Groundwater Areas. This <br />would involve pumping from areas of high groundwater and returning water back to the <br />Platte River. <br />If this option is implemented under the Phelps Canal system, wells capable of pumping <br />1,000 gpm for up to 100 days a year (mostly during the summer months) could be <br />installed and tied into a collection system(s) that discharges water into Lost Creek and/or <br />North Dry Creek for return to the Platte River. Approximately four wells would be <br />required to pump 1,400 ac -ft/yr (roughly 30 percent additional capacity was added for <br />redundancy). <br />Option 2: Passive Lowering of the Groundwater Table. This would involve paying <br />farmers to dry -land farm every other year. The associated reduction in surface water use <br />could either be returned to the Platte River or stored in the Lake McConaughy EA when <br />storage space is available. This project could be implemented effectively under the <br />Phelps Canal system. Irrigators would make beneficial use of their water every other <br />\\DN00\E- DRNE\PROJECTS\Platte \Work Products\Task 9 \wapc report (Version 7).doc 35 <br />