Water interests need a good plan, and soon

Will state officials buy a plan to pump water back into the Republican River to meet Nebraska's obligations to Kansas?

More importantly, will Kansas officials accept it?

Republican River Natural Resources District boards were expected to present a pumping plan, combined with reducing trees and vegetation along the river, to state officials at a meeting in Cambridge today as an alternative plan for keeping Nebraska from paying millions of dollars to the Sunflower State instead of providing the water it is owed.

The NRDs prefer that plan to one suggested by Ann Bleed, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, that would reduce groundwater pumping by 15 percent across the Republican River basin, and by 50 percent in areas closest to the river.

Since that December meeting, Gov. Dave Heineman and Bleed have tempered that suggestion somewhat, saying it was an illustration of the scope of the problem, not a firm proposal. While Heineman wants to create a fund that would include almost $3 million annual to pay for water issues, many local NRD officials don't think that will be enough.

But, the idea of pumping water back into the river, while continuing to pump too much water out of the ground, seems like a hard sell.

Whatever plan is hammered together, it needs to be done soon. A determination on whether Nebraska has overused Republican River water is set for August, and Kansas officials are already adding up the tab.

Bleed and other Nebraska officials will need to have a serious plan in place before then.