Readings show farmers are dong their part

As the numbers flow in for irrigation water use during 2005, Dan Smith becomes more and more impressed with how good a job farmers did in conserving water during this year's growing season.

"We're about 60 percent of the way through the meter readings," said Smith, who is manager for the Middle Republican Natural Resource District. "The average is coming in at about 9 1/4 inches of water use per acre, which is considerably below the 13-inch average (a total of 39 inches) allowed over the three-year period. A significant improvement in conserving irrigation water is also taking place in the Upper and Lower Republican natural resource districts, stretching all the way from Perkins, Chase and Dundy counties on the west to Franklin and Webster counties on the east.

Despite the irrigators' efforts, Nebraska is still struggling to comply with a judge's order to either supply more water to Kansas or cough up large fines to Nebraska's neighbor to the south.

It's such a complex issue because the more Nebraska farmers conserve, the more they limit the flow of water into the Republican River.

Ben Hardin, an irrigation specialist with the Natural Resource Conservation District, explains. "Two of the major conservation programs, CREP and EQIP, reduce runoff losses and deep percolation," both of which would help to replenish the river.

Even so, Smith believes the conservation practices of farmers will have an effect in years to come. "I'm optimistic," Smith said, "maybe blindly optimistic, but even so I believe steps are being taken to improve the water situation. For one thing, the projections being used don't include this year's numbers, which are much improved."

One of the problems is that the NRDs do not have the funds to pay for quick fixes, such as pumping well water into the river, or buying water from the Platte River basin for transfer to the Republican River basin.

The irrigation savings this year will not solve the problem, but they are definitely a step in the right direction, showing that farmers in the Republican basis are willing to do their part to help solve a massive problem which has no easy answers.