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<br />,1 J3iiitle~A1ay Loom "
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<br />~191J i ~,.State Senators Unsure
<br />~ Of Water PolicyFoITn
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<br />': By john Barrette lOCal leveltq initiate proceeoings that
<br />: could lead 10 protection of designated
<br />. WORLD-HERALD BUREAU stream reaches; He' said the bill is
<br />. . Lincoln - Chances lor passage of in: backed by the Slate T'latural Resources
<br />stream flow legislation may have im, Commission. '
<br />prol'ed with'Gov. Kerre,,'s Water Inde- Hoagland said he would accept reaso-
<br />, pendence Congress looking al the idea. nable changes that would help get the
<br />I bUl Slate senalO'" in'dicale battles loom bill OUI of Ihe Schmit.led commi!!ee
<br />! over what lorm such'a Jaw should take, and passed by the Legislature,
<br />, ' Sen. Loran. Schmit of Bellwood, be-
<br />I lore leaving' on a three-week lour oi, 'Compromise Question
<br />': South Africa Friday, said the Legis, '" intend 10 do everythmg I 'have
<br />: lalure won't be a r:ubber stamp lor: the "time to"do to work wi~ the governor's
<br />. administrarion's water policy task force ofrice and the LegislaulTe to get this bill
<br />. or Ihe governor. Schmit is a'task (orce oUI.ol commi!!ee and passed," Haag.
<br />: member.. land said.. .
<br />t .,. "My colleagues. it 1 came back to lhe. The question is wh'ether compromise
<br />: ::i'egislature and said we have this all could,be lound mvolvmg'LB 596. As II
<br />. decided, 'would nOI take me seriously." stands. Sch!'1'~ wants a dIfferent lorm
<br />: . he SOld. adding thai Ihe work '01 the th~ Hoa(lland s plan. ,
<br />, ~~.a'er congress is strictly advisoTV. . "Peter s bill IS not an acceptable bill
<br />. "" Schmil is chairman ot the'Legis. to me," he 'said, ,"I think it's an ap-
<br />:. IBlure's Public Works Committee. proach that wouJd be una.cceptabJe to a
<br />~ which initiales or reviews mosl water majority. of. ~PI,'ebraskans. You don't
<br />'~h(;:)l \e~\s\ation,'Schmi\ said in-streanT solve the problem by not usin~ water. I
<br />no~' legislation may become one of his am nOI ready. yel fa. pl~ce m-strearn
<br />. offerings in the 1984 Legislature. (now,~) al a ,higher pnOnly than ,other
<br />~~... Hoagland, SchmJr Clash . uses. . _.. , . _ ".
<br />",,:.,Sen. Peter Hoagland 01 Omaha is a ,SchmIt said he "".s spea~mg speell.
<br />;;..fpember of the Public Works Commit- Ically. of domeslIc, agrlcuttural and I~-
<br />~'~e but not a member or the Kerrey dus.trlal use,s b,eCa.use they sho~d relam
<br />:':.ll!sk force on water. Hoa"gland last year a higher pnonty In law. He saId he be-
<br />~~{roduced an in-stream flow bill. but \l heves the Hoa~Jand measure would
<br />....Jl.ever advanced from the commiuee. open ~he door ~o I.n-strea.rn flows ~avmg
<br />-.', HOagland and Schmit hi've clashed in 100 hIgh a' pnonly under cenaJII Clr.
<br />the past over water issues. includmg in- curnsla~ces..
<br />Stream flo...: protection.' Schmn said he IS cOl1ce.~ed .that I~'
<br />"Tm pleased that the waler congress s~rearn ~ows have recog"',llOn. !ie said
<br />would concern itself with this issue and tris own propo"i' I would proVide Ih.
<br />make a ~ec~mmendation..'" Hoagland low~SI wat~r appropnatlon. right for In-
<br />said. "n~mk U's encouraging." .' . stream no.....
<br />Hoagland said some have been skep- , .OtherThings Needed'
<br />tical abOllt the work 01 the" water con. He said other things are needed
<br />gress and whether it will .offer a bal- mOTe. such as surface )\'ater impoWld-
<br />ance . between development and men\ by dB.ms and reservoirs to guar-
<br />environmental concerns. ' anree that in dry periods there is a sup-
<br />Hoagland's in.slream fiow measure ply 10 help maintain Ihe flows.
<br />is L~gislative Bill 596. Although it did '" recalllhe 305," he said. "I was m
<br />not clear the 'Public Works Committee, high school betore I knew ,the Plalte
<br />in the 1983 session. it is ready for action River ~as. supposed to CClrry warer."
<br />il the committee and full Legisl"lU,re': . The governor's task. force has met
<br />wanr (0 act quickly on, it in 'the next . twice. 1.[, plans to meet at leas[ two
<br />sessIOn. which begins i~ January.' more times. .
<br />. 'Prolection Inevitable' . It has been .asked to pro~ide recorn-
<br />Hoa.glandJ referrin,g to the wa[er'con- mendations by Dec. I 50 Kerrey can
<br />Eress' interest in the subject of' in. present a water policy plan for the Leg.
<br />stream flow protection. said:.. "Maybe islarure to consider next ~ear.
<br />this will gel Schmit off Ihe dime on Ihis At last Tuesday's meeting. the lash
<br />. issue. I('s jUst inevitable that w~'re force broke inw committees. One of lhe
<br />g:oing to have some in-stream prole(:- prime topics of discussion in two of tht
<br />lions. The only question is whether it's committee sessions was protection for
<br />gOing 10 be now or yea'" Irom now." the flow of Nebraska ,rive", and
<br />Hoagland said 'his bill wilh amend. slreams,
<br />mems wouldn'[ go as far as some con. The conservation committee drafted
<br />ser\'ationists and, environmentaJJsts' language thar may yet be refined. 1\
<br />would Ilke, "but ir at" Jeast does 'eslab- called on Kerrey to urge'state senalOr.;
<br />lish in-stream nows....:-. . to recognize in-stream now needs anc
<br />He said the amended bill would allow termed such flows a benefit for fish and
<br />only' nalural resources districts' at l11e _ wildlife.
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<br />OHlClHICl v.J-H
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