FARWELL IRRIGATION DISTRICT NEWSLETTER
MARCH 2009
We expect a full supply of water for our 2009 water season. We also expect water availability to be approximately the same as last year.
You may have read that the Loup Basin is fully appropriated. This came about as a result of the Director of the Department of Natural Resources declaring the Lower Platte River fully appropriated. Hearings are being held on this matter by the Department and a final determination will be issued by the Department later this year. What this means is that no more permits will be issued for surface water or groundwater and no more wells will be drilled in the basin without offsets. Offsets will mean if you drill a new well you will have to shut off a well or surface water permit of equal water amount in the basin. In other words, a new well to irrigate 100 acres means the elimination of a prior use. It would also mean that industrial and municipal wells would not be granted without the elimination of a prior use.
Last fall we elected a new President. It will mean changes in the water world for the western states. We could expect that a new Commissioner for the Bureau of Reclamation may come in with an agenda that would support environmental agendas. We expect the new administration to turn the pages on some of the endangered species act rule making done by the previous administration. We expect the Congress will try and pass a bill on the Clean Water Act that will not be friendly to irrigated agriculture and may create extreme hardship to irrigated agriculture.
On the State level, a number of water bills have been introduced that the Irrigation Districts have concerns on. Hearings have taken place on a number of them and a few have moved out of Committee. We expect to work with the Natural Resources Committee Chairman and members to assure that the bills are irrigation district friendly. The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled recently that the State of Nebraska is financially responsible for the actions in the State in regard to the compact issues on the Republican River. This has shed new light on the issue and this could force further regulation of the ground water in the Republican Basin. The jury is still out on that issue.
The General Manager, Tom Knutson, is President of the Nebraska State Irrigation Association, Chairman of the Irrigation Caucus for the National Water Resources Association and on the Executive Committee as well as advisory committee member for Nebraska for the Family Farm Alliance, a western states watchdog, for irrigated agriculture. He spends as much time as necessary to protect Farwell’s water supply.
At the Farwell District, the lower end of lateral 26.5 has been buried and will be finished this spring. A tire program is in full force to provide more erosion control on the Sherman Feeder Canal which reduces our overall O&M expenses long term. The District now has about 190 miles of laterals buried in the system out of 265 miles. There are some that will be impossible because of cost but others that still are on the list.
If you are planning on putting in a pivot you need to contact the office and discuss the matter with Mike Spotanski our Project Manager and plan on meeting with the Board of Directors. Remember to keep the cattle off the laterals and the canals or fence them to protect the system.
We look forward to providing water service to you in 2009 and to help keep track of state and federal issues, we suggest you look at the following web sites:
Family Farm Alliance: www.familyfarmalliance.org
National Water Resources Association: www.nwra.org
Nebraska State Irrigation Association: www.nebraskastateirrigationassociation.org
Department of Natural Resources: www.dnr.ne.gov
Nebraska Unicameral Legislature www.unicam.state.ne.us
Lower Loup Natural Resources District: www.llnrd.org
Farwell Irrigation District www.farwellid.com
Should you need help from the District please call: 308-336-3341
Mike Spotanski, Project Manager
Pete Johansen, Field Manager
Chris Kosmicki, Administrative Manager
Tom Knutson, General Manager
Our office hours are 7:30 a.m -4:00 p.m. Late Fall-Winter
7:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Spring-Fall
