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, "1' n I. I,. ", CHAPTER 4 RELATIONSHIP OF THIS STUDY TO OTHERS Each 01 the policy issue studies being con- ducted demonstrates the inter-relationship be. tween waler policy issues. Water policy is complex, and no method of distinguishing issues can successfully eliminate overlaps. The pur- pose of this chapler is to identify the most signifi- cant relationships between this study and the other pOlicy issue studies being conducted as part of the Stale Water Planning and Review Process. Identifying those relationships is Important in each case. Such identification promotes aware- ness of the fact that any particular water policy action will have greater impact upon overall water policy than on the resolution of the im- mediate issue at hand. The result of this aware- ness should not be to delay automatically what may otherwise appear to be a fallorable action, although that may be appropriate in some cases. Howeller, such awareness should at a minimum discourage actions that will prellent consider- ation of new information at a later date. Significant relationships can be identified between the subject of this report, Interstate Water Uses and Conflicts. and selleral of the other pOlicy issue studies being conducted. The extent of that relationship, if any, is addressed study by study in the material which follows. STUDY #1: INSTREAM FLOWS Most of the alternatives in this report relate to the allocation 01 surface water. As a result. those alternatilles halle a lIery close relationship to the Instream Flows Study. If instream uses are recognized in Nebraska on interstate streams. that recognition could halle a significant impact on the amount of water needed by the state to satisfy those uses. More opportunity for confhct with adjoining states will be presented because of the increased demand for the water. On the other hand. official Nebraska recognition of these instream uses might place the state in better relatille position for interstate allocations than if such uses are gillen no recognition at all. Alternative #4 in this report is designed specifi. cally with this last point in mind. STUDY #2: WATER QUALITY Interstate conflicts Oller water use are not necessarily limited to issues of Quantity. The water quality of interstate streams can also be affected by actillities in upstream states. The proposed Narrows Project in northeastern Colorado is an example. Degradation of water Quality in Nebraska is expected if that project is completed. None of the compacts or decrees to which Nebraska is a party presently address water quality mailers and such matters tradition- ally halle not been addressed in compacts in- lIollling other stales. More attention to this issue may be expected in the future. If waste assimilation were recognized as a lIalid instream use, the Water Quality Report would have the same relationshlptothis report as noted abolle for the study on Instream Flows. STUDY #3: GROUNDWATER RESERVOIR MANAGEMENT Alternatives #- 3 and #- 6 in this report deal speciffcally with the interstate aspects of ground. water use. Both are intended as potential integral components of an overall groundwater reservoir management pOlicy for the state. Both are there- fore very closely related to a Groundwater Re. servo;r Management Study_ The other alterna- tilles which deal With the allocation of surface water are also related to the Groundwater Reser. voir Management Study, but not as directly. The relationship which does exist results from the fact that groundwater utilization can affect 4.1