Culbertson man opens water brokerage firm

CULBERTSON -- A Culbertson man has opened a broker service for the newest hot commodity - water.

Bill Barger announced the formation of Nebraska Water Broker LLC, that will broker the sale of water allocations between irrigators in the Middle Republican Natural Resources District.

Barger has been serving as a mediator for the sale of acre inch allocations between irrigators for nearly two years, he said. This new service, with its Web site at www.nebraska waterbroker, will help connect irrigators who want to buy or sell groundwater.

"Producers in this NRD must realize they can carry over one year's allocation into the 2008 allocation period," said Barger, LLC manager. "Producers can purchase, or sell, depending on their needs, sufficient acre inches to help insure their access to irrigation acre inches for the future."

Barger has been an independent real estate broker for several years and got the idea of brokering water from water brokers in Colorado.

"Water is as valuable as the land it's on," he said. "If the NRDs can buy water and the state can buy water, why in the world can't the farmer buy water?"

Nebraska Water Broker will help connect willing buyers and sellers of irrigation allocations, he said, with 30,000 inches already for sale.

Several MRNRD producers have already purchased acre inch allocations to supplement their current 2005-2007 NRD allocation, Barger said. Under specific restrictions set by the NRD, producers can obtain acre inches from other producers for use in the 2008-2010 allocation period and Nebraska Water Broker has and will continue to broker these transactions, he said, to assist producers in maximizing their acre inch allocation.

Producers must consider the risk of not purchasing or selling, the amount of acre inches necessary, he said. Those with excess allocation can sell that excess allocation to willing purchasers, subject to NRD restrictions.

"With potential litigation with Kansas looming and possible cutbacks in allocations, it is critical to maximize carry over acre inches into the 2008 - 2010 allocation period," Barger said.

-- Nebraska Water Broker LLC is a Nebraska Limited Liability Company with its office in Culbertson. Barger, can be contacted at 72409 Road 368, Culbertson, NE 69024 or at (308) 278-2334. Its spokesperson can also be reached at (402) 890-5594.