Motivation

 Why does the NRD board choose to make changes that will have a negative impact on the community when they do not have to?  State law allows the NRD board to protect the community and keep its economy strong.  Yet, most of the NRD board members argue that it is necessary to cut water allocations and to limit the use of water savings that farmers have made in previous years.  Why do they feel it is important to make unrequired changes that will have a profound impact on our community?

The obvious place to go for the answer to these questions is directly to the board.  WaterClaim has asked various board members why they choose to ask the legislature to allow them to increase property taxes by up to 60% and why they want to make the cuts in water allocation. 

The answers from various board members are similar.  Usually the response is: 

• The State is requiring it. 
• The Interrelated Water Review Board requires it
• The Settlement requires it
• The State will take control from the NRD, if it does not agree with our cuts.

However, the law specifically states otherwise.  (See our “Nothing Required” article at www.waterclaim.org for a detailed review of the law.) 

Even though the law contradicts the usual reasons, the majority of the board members still want to make reductions.  So, the question still remains: why?

When a board member wants to make a change that will hurt the community, even when he doesn’t have to, there has to be a reason.  There are several possible reasons.  When board members will not give a logical reason, we are left to speculate.  The reasons may vary from member to member; there may be some combination of reasons for various members; there may be some of which we have not thought.

1. Trust of authority.  The State has told the Board they must make changes and that the State must be satisfied with those changes.  Many people trust authority.  The State has well-educated people who specialize in the law and water.  The Board may feel that the State must be trusted over one’s own ability to read and understand the law, even when this authority is expressly contradicted by the law. 
2. Conservationist or Environmentalist.  Some board members believe we should not pump more water from the aquifer than what can be recharged from rainfall.  This is a sincere position that requires much more dramatic cuts than what even the State seeks.   This position will require many of the people who live in the area to leave, as there will be far fewer jobs.
3. Mutual pain.  Some people cannot pump as much water as others because geology does not allow it.  Some board members may feel that perhaps those who have more access to water should experience the same shortage of water.  This is a form of “fairness,” or some might describe it as jealousy.  

 Are any of these reasons enough to vote to change the economy of the community?  The vote of the NRD board will affect virtually every business and farm in the area.  Some people will lose their jobs, and the entire area will be poorer.  We encourage you to ask board members to explain to you why they want to make these cuts when they do not have to.