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<br />I'" '1 Q~ <br /> <br />CHAPTER 1 <br />THE CURRENT SITUATION <br /> <br />INTRODUCTION <br /> <br />The purpose althls chapter IS to describe, In a <br />very general way. the physical situatIon with <br />respect to surface water and groundwater In <br />interstate river basins and enterstate aquifers. 11 <br />has been estimated that the average annual <br />streamflow into Ihe state is about one million <br />acre feet. whereas the average annual outflow is <br />about seven million acre feeLl This chapter is <br />designed 10 give the reader agenerar Idea of how <br />and where Ihat water is distributed en Nebraska <br />A summary of general topographic characteris- <br />tics, average precipitation, hIgh. fow and average <br />annual inflows and/or outflows on the major <br />streams. and any legally established entllle- <br />ments or obligations. whether by court decree or <br />compact. has been included for each Interstate <br />stream basin in the state. <br />There is relatively little information for inter- <br />state groundwater aquifers underlYing <br />Nebraska. The expanding knowledge of ground- <br />water in general, however, has also brought <br />about an increased awareness of the interstate <br />impacts associated with groundwater use by <br />states sharing a common aquifer or interstate <br />river basin. The ever-expanding use of ground" <br />water, for irrigation and energy development <br />among other uses. could bring increased <br />pressure to bear on the groundwater resource as <br />well. To date, there are no legal allocations ot <br />groundwater between Nebraska and neighbor- <br />ing states. <br />A third source of water which it may be possible <br />to artificially ..tap" is the atmosphere. through <br />weather modification. Nebraska has had limited <br />experience with weather modification activity <br />but the legal framework and potential for it defin- <br />itelyexist. <br /> <br />SURFACE STREAMS <br /> <br />While River - Hal Creek Basin <br /> <br />Description. The White River and Hat Creek <br />are located In the northwestern corner of the <br />state. They originate In the Pine Ridge. a massive <br />sandstone escarpment whiCh forms a part of the <br />northern boundary of the high plains. and flow <br />northeastward IOto South Dakota. The White <br />River beglOs In northern Sioux county near the <br />Nebraska-Wyoming state line, and floV'Jlng north- <br />eastward Into South Dakota eventually empties <br />Into the MIssouri River above Fort Randall Dam. <br />Hat Creek heads In the northwestern part ot <br />Sioux county and !lows northward into the <br />Cheyenne River In South Dakota. <br />The basin formed by these two streams IS <br />topographically marked wIth rugged steep <br />slopes In the Pine Ridge area and a gently <br />sloping area of clay hills and badlands forming <br />narrow bottom lands to the north and west. The <br />streams have cut deeply IOta the land and tormed <br />narrow valleys adding to the generally rough <br />nature at the basin_ <br />The tYPical groundcover. ranging from conifer- <br />ous trees In the Pine RIdge to native grasses 10 <br />the badlands, the rugged topography. and Clayey <br />salls make culllvatlon Impractical and difficult In <br />most cases. at a total land area at 1.360.000 <br />acres.2 only about 26.600 acres were Irrigated <br />from surface water and 1.400 acres tram ground. <br />water as at 1975_ <br />The average annual preclpltalton IS about 15 <br />Inches': The runoll from pfeclpltatlon IS usually <br />rapid because of the steep slopes and mostly <br />impermeable soils The one major reserVOir In the <br />region. Whitney Lake In Dawes County. IS oper. <br />ated by Whitney Irrigation District It has a <br />storage capacity of 10.960 acre-feel. <br /> <br />1-1 <br />