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<br />in this study its use for irrigation is generally not con-
<br />sidered to be supplemental water. The ratio of acres
<br />of land supplied by groundwater to that supplied from
<br />surface sources currently is about 6.5 to 1 . Some land
<br />is served from both sources. Although some irrigation
<br />is from water diverted directly from a stream, most ir-
<br />rigation is from water stored in surface-water reservoirs
<br />or the groundwater reservoir. Irrigation, in the future,
<br />almost surely will be the single largest demand for sup-
<br />plemental water. For this reason conservation of
<br />supply, through various means, will continue to have
<br />a larger impact when implemented for this use than
<br />others. The opportunity to meet some perceived needs
<br />is believed to exist. Potentially, irrigation is the biggest
<br />competitor for supplemental water.
<br />The practice of supplementing municipal supply by
<br />importation of water stems from local over-development
<br />of the supply in some cities in the 1930s, notably Lin-
<br />coln, Seward, and Falls City. Later many other cities
<br />went outside of their corporate limits to develop and
<br />import water to supplement either a local groundwater
<br />supply, or as in the case of Omaha, a Missouri River
<br />supply. The Policy Issue Study on Municipal Water
<br />Needs (Nebraska Natural Resources Commission,
<br />1983) described municipal water supply quantity and
<br />quality problems and needs. Some of these may have
<br />to be met by importation, by augmentation from
<br />surface-water reservoirs, or through additions (artificial
<br />recharge) to the groundwater reservoir. Supplemental
<br />water in terms of available water should not prove to
<br />be a limiting factor in providing for municipal use.
<br />However constraints such as the cost of importing sup-
<br />plies could have an impact in some cases.
<br />Water for rural domestic and stock uses traditional-
<br />ly has been an individual responsibility. Groundwater
<br />from wells has been the main source of water supply,
<br />although livestock watering from streams has been an
<br />alternate supply. Many communities have loading
<br />facilities for hauling rural domestic annd stock water.
<br />Seasonally and in drought years, water hauled to the
<br />farm ponds and fabricated storage units have sup-
<br />plemented the supply in areas where the local supply
<br />is limited by quantity or quality. Unfortunately, in
<br />seasons or years of deficient precipitation, both ground-
<br />water and surface supplies may be insufficient for
<br />needs in part of the state. Rural water districts and
<br />private pipeline systems import water, primarily ground-
<br />water, to supplement the local supply. However, most
<br />systems constructed to date have limited capacities and
<br />capabilities.
<br />Importation of water for domestic, stock, and
<br />municipal, including industrial, uses will continue to be
<br />the primary method of supplementing supplies for those
<br />uses. Conservation of water by metering, by reducing
<br />water use for lawn watering, through reuse and by pric-
<br />ing can contribute to extending the supply. One prac-
<br />tice which has not had popular appeal but has been
<br />implemented to some degree is that of joint use of a
<br />water supply and facilities by two or more communities
<br />
<br />1-6
<br />
<br />or by a community and a rural water district. The jOint
<br />sharing approach from an imported source will likely
<br />become increasingly attrative as an efficient means of
<br />supplementing an inadequate supply.
<br />Water for cooling purposes in certain industrial or
<br />power applications can be a consumptive use of water.
<br />These uses could become an increasingly significant
<br />demand on the available water supply. They are being
<br />addressed in the waterlenergy policy issue study
<br />(Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, 1984).
<br />Such needs have been and will continue to be met by
<br />direct diversion from streams, by wells or by sup-
<br />plemental water.
<br />Hydro power traditionally has been an important
<br />source of electricity in the state. Although direct flow
<br />released from low dams produced much of the early
<br />electrical power in the state, most of the hydroelectric
<br />power generated within the state now is from sup-
<br />plemental water supplied by storage and by importa-
<br />tion and sttorage. The publications "Availability and Use
<br />of Water in Nebraska, 1975" (Bentall and Shafer, 1979)
<br />and "An Inventory of Public, Industrial, and Power-
<br />Generating Water Use in Nebraska, 1979 and 1980"
<br />(Lawton, Veys and Goodenkauf, 1983) describe the cur-
<br />rent uses of water for hydroelectric power as well as
<br />municipal and industrial purposes. Any increased use
<br />of water for hydroelectric power generation will almost
<br />surely involve the use of supplementa! water. The joint
<br />use of storage releases with other uses appears to be
<br />feasible.
<br />Another use of water which may become significant
<br />in the future is related to the energy industry. This would
<br />include water for mineral extraction, processing and
<br />transportation. Supplemental water in or from Nebraska
<br />may be required for any of these purposes. The
<br />waterlenergy policy issue study will consider this poten-
<br />tial in detail.
<br />The public perception of the water needs for fish,
<br />wildlife and recreation ranges widely. Perhaps of all the
<br />needs or uses for water as considered in this report,
<br />the needs and uses for fish, wildlife and recreation are
<br />the most difficult to describe and quantify. Changes in
<br />water use for recreation, fishing, and wildlife have oc-
<br />curred as the result of water development and manage-
<br />ment. The creation of supplemental water supplies by
<br />storage, particularly in large surface reservoirs, has
<br />contributed significantly to an increase in recreational
<br />opportunities. Flat water facilities for boating, swimm-
<br />ing, and water skiing and reservoirs for fishing are not
<br />equally distributed within the state. Water storage and
<br />stream diversion have had both positive and adverse
<br />impacts on terrestrial and aquatic habitat. Significant
<br />changes in plant and animal communities have
<br />occurred in some flood plains; fisheries have been
<br />reduced in some stream stretches and enhanced in
<br />others; and the riverine habitat for some kinds of
<br />migratory water fowl has been reduced in some areas
<br />and enhanced elsewhere.
<br />Supplemental water for navigation was considered
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