McCook Daily Gazette: News : Republican River

Republican River

Issues surrounding the Republican River.

Official says repair of dam to be expedited (03/05/10)
The water level in Red Willow Dam is "about where it's going to be for the next couple of years until we get it fixed," an official said Thursday. Marv Swanda, of the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, gave an update of the dam at the 2010 Southwest Water Conference Thursday in McCook...

NRD considers revising plan (02/08/10)
CURTIS -- Board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District will discuss how to revise its water plan to include Option 3, at their regular meeting Tuesday, 7 p.m. at the Community Center. Option 3 is one of three that the state has asked the NRDs in the Republican River Basin to implement in water-short years. ...

River refund running slow (02/04/10)
A bill to refund property taxes collected in the Republican River Basin, taxes later ruled illegal, is not exactly dead in the water but may have trouble going anywhere. LB 898, introduced by Sen. Mark Christensen, called for refunding property or occupation taxes that have been declared unconstitutional and was heard in the Revenue Committee Jan. 29...

Water bill up for hearing in Legislature (01/28/10)
A bill from State Sen. Mark Christensen to refund property taxes that were later declared unconstitutional will be discussed at a legislative hearing scheduled today for the Revenue Committee. The bill takes care of several issues that ultimately defeated a similar bill introduced last year to refund the taxes, Christensen said this morning at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative conference call...

Proposed water tax takes cue from Qwest Center (01/21/10)
State Sen. Mark Christensen planned to introduce a water bill this morning that could make a big splash -- or at least cause a few ripples. Speaking at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce Legislative conference call, Sen. Christensen said his bill would use 70 percent of sales taxes collected from rapid response areas in the Republican River Basin -- those closest to the river -- for a water solution fund...

River group calls for less talk, more action (01/19/10)
OBERLIN -- What'd Shakespeare say? "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers"? The vice chairman of a grassroots organization whose goal is to improve the health of the Republican River isn't really advocating killing lawyers. But Bud Meckelburg is frustrated by too much talk and not enough action...

Arguments Thursday on water tax refund (01/15/10)
Arguments concerning how an unconstitutional Natural Resources District tax will be refunded will be heard Thursday, Jan. 21 at Red Willow County District Court. No ruling will be issued at that time. Instead, District Court Judge David Urbom will hear from the Upper, Middle and Lower NRDs on Jan. 21 and then take the case under advisement. A ruling on the case will be issued in the following months...

NRD tax refund ruling expected Jan. 21 (01/13/10)
CURTIS -- A ruling determining how an unconstitutional Natural Resources District tax will be refunded will be made in Red Willow County District Court on Jan. 21. Middle Republican NRD members learned about the judgment, which covers a property tax collected in 2008, at their meeting Tuesday in Curtis...

NRD picks plan, but still wants other options (12/17/09)
CURTIS -- After a lot of foot-dragging, nearly three hours of discussion and, by barely a majority, board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District reluctantly chose to consider shutting down irrigation to those closest to the river in water-short years...

Occupation tax to judge (12/16/09)
LINCOLN -- Republican River Basin Natural Resources Districts were back in court Monday, defending the constitutionality of an occupation tax collected on irrigated acres in the Republican Basin in 2008. A lawsuit filed by several Republican River basin landowners against the State of Nebraska and the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican Natural Resources Districts, claims that the occupation tax brought on by LB701 is unconstitutional, as it is only imposed upon residents of the Republican River basin while the returns from those taxes directly benefit the State of Nebraska by helping to achieve compliance with the Republican River Compact.. ...

NRD meeting may include option vote (12/14/09)
CURTIS -- Middle Republican Natural Resources District board members plan their regular monthly meeting at 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, at the Curtis Memorial Community Center, 201 Garlick Ave. The meeting was rescheduled from Dec. 8 because of inclement weather...

Middle Republican NRD will consider options (12/07/09)
CURTIS -- Board members of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District will consider and possibly vote on one of the three options the state has presented to NRDs for water-short years, at their regular meeting Tuesday, 1:45 p.m., at the Curtis Community Center...

DNR to unveil forecast on Monday (11/25/09)
CURTIS -- The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources will be presenting the annual Republican Basin forecast at the Monday meeting of the Nebraska Republican River Management Districts Association, to be at the Curtis Community Center at 1 p.m. The meeting is open to the public...

Irrigators calling for fair treatment (11/18/09)
Some irrigators who will be affected by the state's proposal to reduce irrigation in dry years are none too happy about the prospect. "The solution is to treat everyone equally," said Roger Goltl at the presentation given by state water officials at the McCook Memorial Auditorium Tuesday. ...

NRD approves meetings on DNR's short year administration avoidance strategies (11/11/09)
CURTIS -- The Middle Republican Natural Resources District Board of Directors met November 10 at the Curtis Memorial Community Center to discuss, among many other items of official business, the proposals presented last month that address the State's ability to stay in compliance with the Republican River Compact, in particular, the three option proposal presented by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)...

Ag interests oppose water plan (10/19/09)
A plan proposed by the state to shut down irrigation in water short years is inequitable and targets a select group of irrigators to carry the load, while enabling the continued depletion of water in the rest of the basin. That's the concern of area businessmen and ag producers, who are drafting a resolution to Gov. Dave Heineman...

Officials offer three options for water cuts (10/14/09)
CURTIS -- State water officials have offered three options to keep Nebraska in compliance with the Republican River Compact during dry years. One option to make sure enough water gets to Kansas could be to reduce Nebraska groundwater irrigation allocations to 3.6 inches in the Lower Republican Natural Resources District, 4.8 inches in the Middle Republican NRD and 5.9 inches in the Upper Republican NRD...

Water Problem No. 5 -- Ignored elements (09/29/09)
Problem No. 5 with the Republican River Model is Ignored Elements. Kansas State Scientist, James Koelliker, says 60 to 80 percent of the stream flow depletion in western Kansas is caused by conservation practices such as terraces, minimum till, and retention ponds. While the study is watershed specific, almost identical conditions exist in Nebraska. In fact, Koelliker has tested his model on the Republican River Basin, including the Nebraska portion...

Alternate water plan would 'spread the pain' over water cutbacks (09/23/09)

Tour raises awareness of Republican River issues (09/18/09)
IDALIA, Colo. -- The Republican River Restoration Partnership, Colorado Association of Conservation Districts and Colorado Agriculture Preservation Association conducted a meeting Sept. 14, to address the need to increase outflow for Bonny Reservoir. Bonny is located near Idalia, Colo...

Irrigation shutoff called 'last resort' (09/18/09)
By NATE JENKINS, Associated Press Writer HOLDREGE (AP) -- Shutting down irrigation in parts of the Republican River basin during dry years in order to send Kansas more water is being considered, but only as a "last resort," Nebraska water officials told about 300 farmers on Thursday...

Republican River Compact compliance options to be presented (09/16/09)
HOLDREGE -- Brian Dunnigan, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, will outline options on how Nebraska can comply with the Republican River Compact and Kansas v. Nebraska lawsuit settlement during dry years, Thursday, 1 p.m. at the Holdrege City Auditorium, 421 Grant Street...

Republican River arbitrator leaves many questions unanswered (07/01/09)
An arbitrator said Nebraska isn't doing enough to comply with the Republican River compact, but leaves details of how to do so up to the state. Kansas should receive a nominal $10,000 award until it proves how much damage it has actually suffered, the Colorado-based arbitrator said...

LB 701 refund will be up to judge (06/15/09)
CURTIS -- How to refund property taxes collected under LB 701, taxes later ruled illegal by the Nebraska Supreme Court, will be up to a judge to decide. Board members of the Middle Republican natural resources district voted Tuesday night at its regular meeting to retain a lawyer, who will ask for a declaratory judgement from the district court as to the responsibilities of the NRDs in repaying these taxes...

$2.5 million in refunds in limbo (06/05/09)
CURTIS -- About $2.5 million of property taxes collected by Republican River Basin natural resources districts under LB 701 remain in limbo, as no procedure is in place to repay the taxes. The taxes were ruled unconstitutional by the Nebraska Supreme Court Legislature but as there are no legal means to return them, they remain with the NRD districts...

Business group urges LB701 refunds (04/17/09)
State lawmakers will get a nudge in the form of a resolution that requests a prompt refund of property taxes that were ultimately declared illegal. The resolution was crafted at Tuesday's meeting of the South Platte United Chamber of Commerce with Gov. Dave Heineman as the keynote speaker...

Tax refund bill dead in the water? (03/26/09)
A bill that would refund property taxes found unconstitutional by a court ruling may be dead in the water. That's because senators in the committee hearing LB 681 want some kind of guarantee that the nearly $9 million the Republican River Basin natural resources borrowed last year will be paid back...

Kansas lowers water demand to $9 million (03/11/09)
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) -- Kansas officials say Nebraska owes their state about $9 million for overusing Republican River water in 2005 and 2006. Nebraska officials submitted documents to an arbitrator in Denver on Wednesday with a much lower estimate of damages -- $615,000 to $1.23 million...

NRD may buy more water (03/11/09)
CURTIS -- Buying water shows Kansas that the district is willing to do what it takes to come into compliance with the Republican River Compact, said Dan Smith, general manager of the Middle Republican Natural Resources District. But not all board members agreed. ...

Water refund bill hearings set next week (03/05/09)
A bill introduced on behalf of Gov. Dave Heineman, which would refund property taxes determined to be unconstitutional, will have its committee hearing March 11 at 12 noon. Sen. Mark Christensen plans to designate that bill as his priority if it's advanced from committee onto the floor, he said this morning at the Government Affairs Legislative conference call at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce office...

Governor wants to pay back Republican Basin taxpayers (03/03/09)
LINCOLN (AP) - Chances that residents of Nebraska's Republican River basin will be repaid millions of dollars in property taxes have improved. On Tuesday, Gov. Dave Heineman introduced a measure (LB681) to the Legislature that would require tax dollars paid under part of a water law later found to be unconstitutional be paid back. Water officials in the basin have estimated the amount to be $2 million to $2.5 million...

Committee hears testimony on water bill (02/27/09)
and the LINCOLN -- Residents of Southwest Nebraska who paid millions in property taxes under part of a water law deemed unconstitutional by the state Supreme Court could get their money back. On Thursday, State Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial said he would introduce a measure to the Legislature requiring that residents of the Republican River basin be repaid the roughly $2 million to $2.5 million in property taxes...

Senator agrees property tax refunds due (02/12/09)
Property taxes collected under the water law created by LB 701 could be refunded with an amendment added on to LB 651, one of the bills Sen. Mark Christensen has introduced this session. But whether the taxes will be refunded to only those who filed a protest remains to be seen, Christensen said this morning at the Government Affairs Legislature conference call at the McCook Area Chamber of Commerce...

Method uncertain for LB 701 refunds (02/11/09)
CURTIS -- The Middle Republican Natural Resources District has collected about $2.5 million in property and occupation taxes under the law created by LB 701 -- but how the property taxes are returned to taxpayers in the district is unclear at this point, according to Dan Smith, MRNRD general manager...

Sens. Nelson, Collins negotiate bipartisan economic stimulus agreement (02/08/09)
WASHINGTON, D.C.--After days of leading bipartisan negotiations, U.S. Sens. Ben Nelson (D-NE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) announced an agreement on an amendment to the Economic Recovery Act currently before the Senate. The Nelson-Collins amendment would reduce the total cost of the package to $780 billion--$110 billion less than the bill that the Senate is currently considering...

High court agrees, LB 701 unconstitutional (02/06/09)
LINCOLN -- Residents of three Southwest Nebraska Natural Resources Districts won't be paying property taxes to help put more water into the Republican River. In a ruling released Friday, the Nebraska Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision that special taxing authority approved by the state Legislature in 2007 is unconstitutional. ...