Report on the Platte River Basin, Nebraska Level B Study

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CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCTION "A mile wide and an inch deep," and "Nebraska's economic lifeblood" are descriptions often made of the Platte River in Nebraska. At the same time it is prized by many as one of Nebraska's most impor- tant environmental resources. The portion of Nebraska the river drains is included in the area which has been described as "The great American desert" or "A farmers gardenland," depending upon whose eye viewed the area and when. No matter how it is described, the part of Ne- braska drained by the Platte River and its tribu- taries is the heartland of the state which contains water and land resources that possess outstanding economic, environmental, and social values. The problems associated with management of the water and related land resources of the basin were analyzed in this study, and plans and recom- mendations for future management are presented in this report for consideration by the people. Background and Authority The Platte River Basin, Nebraska Study has been defined as a Level B Study. According to the U. S. Water Resources Council, this level of study is a reconnaissance evaluation of water and land re- sources for a region or river basin. Such studies are to resolve complex long -range problems identified by framework studies and assessments and may vary widely in scope and detail. They involve federal, state, and local interests in plan formula- tion and recommend action plans and programs to be undertaken by specific entities. Both the Missouri River Basin Framework Study (1971) and the Framework Study of Nebraska's State Water Plan (1971) identified problem areas in Nebraska's Platte River Basin and recommended more detailed studies leading toward a plan for water resources management. MISSOURI RIVER BASIN FRAMEWORK STUDY This study was conducted during the period 1964 -1969 by the Missouri Basin Inter - Agency Committee (MBIAC) with involvement of the 10 member states and all affected federal resource agencies through a standing committee, work groups, and task forces. The results were published in a main report and six supporting appendixes. The stated objectives of the framework plan were to set forth the water and related land resource needs of the Missouri River Basin and overall goals which might be attained over a 50 -year period. Thus, the framework is a broad plan that recommends no projects specifically and assigns no tasks, but does point directions and sets forth the scope of projected needs and responses. In the seven volumes of the study there is a wealth of data which has been utilized by Nebraska in preparing its State Water Plan and by the planning board in this Platte Level B Study. How- ever, there are inadequacies in those data both in detail and currentness, and updating was neces- sary for the two later studies. Results of the Missouri Basin Framework Study indicated that certain, more detailed studies should be undertaken. References to the Platte River Basin in Nebraska stated: "The framework study clearly revealed that there is a need to more fully coordinate tributary planning to resolve the main stem or basin water problems and to more fully attain the available opportunities for resource development. To ac- complish such planning will require the closing of "data gaps" revealed by the framework study and will require a complete water system analysis. The principal data gaps are: (1) need