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l; lj C ,I :1., Summary CURRENT SITUATION An estimated one million acre feet of water flows into the State of Nebraska every year by way of interstate streams while an average of seven million acre feet leaves the state annually. Approximately eighty-six million acre feet of water can be attributed to precipitation. About 1.8 billion acre feet of recoverable, good quality groundwater also underlies the state. Therefore, the amounts of inflow and outflow represent relatively small parts of the total water supply available for use in Nebraska. The inflow, how- ever, is an important source of water for certain portions of the state. Any future developments or conflicts which would reduce this average amount of water could present some serious problems in those areas. In fact, the current situation would indicate that Nebraska frequent. ly receives more water by way of interstate streams than is required to be delivered by compact or court decree. There are seven major interstate streams in the state, both inflowing and outflowing. The White River, located in the northwestern corner of the state, flows northeastward into South Dakota No interstate compacts currently allocate the waters of this stream, although the potential for some Indian water right claims exists from Indian reservations located in South Dakota. The Niobrara River enters Nebraska in its northwestern corner from Wyoming, flowing across the state where it discharges into the Missouri River above Lewis and Clark Reservoir. An interstate compact was negotiated and rati- fied on the Upper Niobrara River (west of Agate, Nebraska) between Wyoming and Nebraska. A compact was negotiated but never ratified by Congress for the lower and greater portion of the Niobrara River and Ponca Creek, a stream in the basin which enters the state from South Dakota. The reason has been attributed again to the potential for Indian water rights claims. The North Platte River heads in Colorado, flows through Wyoming, then into Nebraska. The river is highly regulated with several reservoirs loca- ted in Wyoming controlling flows. A U.S. Supreme Court decree apportions the river flows between Nebraska, Colorado, and Wyoming. The South Platte River flows into Nebraska from Colorado. Along with its major Nebraska tributary, Lodgepole Creek, it is the subject of an interstate compact between those two states. Under the compact, a minimum mean daily flow line of 120 cubic feet per second at the state line is established for the irrigation season provided it will be beneficially used in Nebraska. A diversion limited to 500 cubic feet per second in Colorado for future irrigation of lands in Nebraska is also provided for, subject to prior reservation of storage in Colorado. The Republican River, located in the south- western part of the state enters Nebraska from Colorado and exits to Kansas. It, too, is subject to an interstate compact allocating the flows of the river and most of its major tributaries between the states of Colorado, Kansas,and Nebraska. The Big and Little Blue Rivers originate in south-central Nebraska and flow in a south- easterly direction into Kansas. An interstate compact between Nebraska and Kansas has been negotiated and approved which establish- es minimum daily flows to be delivered at the state line from May 1 to September 30 of each year. A major interstate river, the Missouri, forms part of the northern and eastern boundaries of the state. It arises in Montana and flows in a south- easterly direction draining sections of ten states. Major developments on the river consist of six mainstem reservoirs and a navigation channel below Sioux City, Iowa. There are interstate compacts on portions of a number of the major tributaries to the Missouri River, including the Niobrara and the Platte. No compacts exist regarding the Missouri itself. Indian and federal reserved rights are a major issue in the basin due v