NRDs study pipeline to Kansas

A pipeline to send water to Kansas is an idea being floated by the three Republican River Basin natural resources districts.

The concept is still in the talking stages, but a preliminary engineering study done by the Miller & Associates engineering firm in Kearney initially identified nine possible well sites in the Upper and Lower Republican River districts.

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The water from these augmentation wells would be stored at Harlan County Dam and sent to Kansas via a pipeline.

While the original nine sites were determined not to be feasible, the NRDs are now looking at a 70-mile stretch along the Republican River above Guide Rock and below Harlan County Lake, said Dan Smith, Middle Republican Natural Resources District general manager.

The proposed wells will not deplete additional water from the basin, as the NRDs would also purchase irrigated acres or wells already producing water to offset new use, Smith said.

The location and number of wells will depend on several factors, he said, such as pumping capacity, discharge rate, saturation level and impacts on the surrounding areas.

"We don't want to adversely impact other users," Smith said, with the augmentation wells projected to be used only during the off-season of irrigation, from September-June. "We want to be able to get this water to Kansas with the least amount of impact and the least amount of loss."

If a suitable site is found along the Republican River and irrigated acres are retired or purchased, the water would be sent to Courtland Canal at the Nebraska/Kansas state line and then piped or transported by a canal to the Lovewell Reservoir in Kansas. The water could also be stored at the Harlan County Lake.

Water stored in Harlan County Dam must be a total of 119,000 acre feet to avoid a water-short year designation.

Smith estimated the pipeline to Kansas would be from two to six miles long, with a minimum of two sets of wells needed.

Pumping water for storage might lessen the need to purchase water from irrigators, Smith said.

"It would make the need to buy surface water less frequent," he said but other factors had to be considered as well.

"There are situations with a water-short year designation that make it important to be able to put water in Harlan County," he added, citing drought conditions and the fact Nebraska has historically overused water one year out of four. The augmentation wells would implement a system to replace that water but whether the wells will pump a little every year for storage or pump hard after a water-short year to catch up has not been determined.

The preliminary study was approved by directors two years ago and financed by a state fund with a 20 percent match, Smith said. The NRDs are applying for state funds for Phase II, through the Interrelated Water Management Plan, created by the Nebraska Legislature in 2006 and funded at $2.5 million. The funds come with a 20 percent match and the NRDs will know if they will receive the money by July, Smith said.

Phase II will be more site specific and include the design phase of the project, such as how many wells will be needed, acres to retire and costs involved. Phase III would be construction,

NRD board members will vote on augmentation wells by the September or October meeting, Smith said, depending if funds for Phase II are received by the state.

Smith said funding for the augmentation wells/pipeline will be done either by the taxing authority in LB 701, using property taxes or taxes on irrigated acres, or by some other mechanism through the state.

The property tax authority in LB701 is currently being challenged in a lawsuit pending in Lancaster District Court.

Nebraska's NRDs

http://www.nrdnet.org/