WSP06696

• File Number: 8407.400
• Description: Platte River Basin - River Basin General Publications - Nebraska
• State: NE
• Basin: South Platte
• Water Division: 1
• Date: 1/1/1984
• Author: Nebraska Natural Res
• Title: Policy Issue Study on Supplemental Water Supplies
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

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in the course of lhe study. Although the use of water
for navigation on the Missouri River was recognized as
being importanllo Nebraska. supplying water tor that
use is primarily a lederal and multi-slate responsibilJly.

F. THE FUTURE OF SUPPLEMENTAL
SUPPLIES

Supplemental waler as defined in this study and
discussed In the report provides a framework for po-
tentiallnvestment in the future. The report does nOl
idenllty specific prOjects or a specific available water
supply. The report does suggest a new class of water
that has not hitherto been formally recognized In
Nebraska. For want of a better term that classification
of waler is "supplemental water" Supplemental waler
as defined in this study IS distinguished from waler
naturally occurring in the atmosphere and on or in the
ground. It is that water which people haye made
ayailabte or will make ayailable to meet their wants. In
regards to storage, the use and management of sup-
plemental water has been called conjunctiye or in.
tegrated use and is discussed laler in the report.
Not all future proposals for proyidlng a supple-
mental water supply will be Implemented because of
factors or condlllons identified as constraints in this
report. Many projects proposed will be eKpensiYe. As
has occurred In the recent past. any major project will
come under close scrutiny by a cost-conscious and
enyironmenl-consclOus pubhc. Therefore. other ways
of stretching the supply may be yery attractiye. The
methods of augmenting a limited supply through con-
servation should be encouraged and eyen demanded
as a part of the management of waler in Nebraska.
Howeyer, presently there are not ayailable alternatllJes
to providing a supplemental water supply, except as
defined and discussed In this report. An exception
might be weather modification which may hold some
promise for small but slgmficant increases in precipita-

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lion In the future_ Such additional water resulting from
weather modification would become a part of the
available supply to be stored. transported and used_
Howeyer. at this point the effectiveness and impacts
of weather modification technOlogies are uncertain.
The future for sustained use of water to maintain and
enhance our economic and recreational base and to
preserve or enhance the environment is as bright as
the citIzens of Nebraska wish It to be and can afford.
Related to the deciSions Nebraskans will be making is
the underlying consideration of population, the number
of people In the state and where they Will be located.
The pressing need for supplemental water supply is
presenlfy confined to small. localized areas. This report
and other policy issue reports have recognized existing
and emerging problems relative to inadequacy of supp-
ly. ExtenSive time frames may be required to study, ob-
tain funds. and implement proposals to use supplemen-
tal water. The alternatives presented in this report
therefore address changes in water policy thai singly,
or in combination, could establish the future legal, i:1-
stltulional. and economic framework for state policies
on supplemental water.
Constraints to providing supplemental water are
discussed and impacts of alternatives suggested are
described. Because the nalural. social, and economic
processes are ever-changing. the judgement of con.
straints and impacts are only as good as the state of
the knowledge. Required will be the determination to
continually evaluate waler availability and Impacts 01
use through research and data collection. Also required
will be the determination to develop a broad base of
pUblic understand 109 and awareness.
Economics is recognized as being the single most
important factor by which needs and alternatives to pro-
Vide solutions have been judged. Economics may also
be uppermost as one of the tests applied 10 establishing
priorities for implementation of proposals 10 the future.
The public !hrough the political process will make the
final deciSions.

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