WaterClaim

A computer simulation is used to model water in the Republican River Basin. This simulation is used to determine whether Nebraska is in compliance with its obligation to Kansas. There is a similar simulation used to model water on the Platte River. In order for the simulations to be useful, they need to accurately measure all water sources and uses.

Unfortunately, in the Republican River Basin, a decision has been made by the State to exclude one of the primary effects on the stream and not measure it. In the Republican River Basin, there are more than a million acres with two foot high dams which are designed to catch water and to slow or prevent that water from getting to the stream. To intentionally exclude this effect from the simulation creates an imbalance in the formulas. Then, to make the system balance, the missing water has to be assigned to some cause. Those making the simulation chose to say all missing water is used by groundwater irrigation, even though that is not true.

Conservation is a tool. It is like fire. Used properly, it is beneficial. But, even beneficial things have effects. Fire produces heat; and, if that is what we want, that is a good thing. But, it also consumes fuel. Which do I value more: the fuel or the heat? Conservation protects the soil, water, and air. Those are good things. But, it also slows or stops some water from getting to the stream. It produces more vegetation. That may or may not be a good thing. Saying that conservation is only good and has no effect is inaccurate. To be fair and honest, all effects should be measured. Hiding some of the options is not honest. Falsely accusing one group in order to protect another is morally wrong.

Posted by Steve Smith at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The State has indicated that it is secretly working with the NRDs to come up with a response to the arbitrator’s ruling regarding the Republican River Basin.

The preferences are augmentation plans that are very similar to what WaterClaim has been suggesting for years, surface water purchases, and land retirement programs. If there is not enough money to do these programs, then the State has asked (required) the NRDs to include what are called “red box” clauses. These would require the NRDs to agree to shut off irrigation wells close to the stream in water short years.

Continue reading "Water Politics" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

As a society, we use a representative form of government. That means that we choose one individual to take the time to study the issue and to attend the meetings so that hundreds or thousands of others don’t have to do so. We trust that person to speak for us, to defend our interests, to keep us informed, to involve those who are interested in the issues, and to make the best decision for the community.

Continue reading "When Representative Goverment Fails" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The State of Nebraska and the Republican River Basin (RRB) NRDs have been holding policy discussions in executive session secret sub-committee meetings again. Shortly after the Arbitrator ruled on June 30th that Nebraska was not doing enough to keep itself in compliance, the RRB NRD managers were summoned to Lincoln to hold discussions with the Governor’s representatives and with the Attorney General’s office. One of the ideas floated was the prospect of shutting off all irrigation wells within a five mile wide swath of every stream and tributary in the RRB. The managers then informed a few members of their boards, usually the executive committees. These few individuals then talked to their personal friends and, anonymously, to some of the people in the press. Then on August 20, the AG’s office met with the full board of each of the NRDs to inform them of the idea and said that they would need to add it into their 2010 Integrated Management Plans. The board members were informed by the AG’s office that if they talked to the public about this idea, they would not be permitted to attend any future executive sessions.

Continue reading "NRDs Conspiring with the State" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 04:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ann Bleed has been asked to resign and is doing so effectively March 24, 2008. Her replacement will be Brian Dunnigan. He is currently the Deputy Director of the DNR.

We see this as an opportunity for the Governor to appoint someone that will correct flaws in the computer simulation, that will negotiate in good faith with the NRDs in finding a solution that will satisfy Kansas and at the same time protect the economy of the region. Hopefully the Governor will appoint someone that is willing to recognize the effects of conservation and create policies accordingly.

We know the new director will have a difficult job. We simply hope that the Governor will appoint someone that is honest and deals in good faith.

Posted by Steve Smith at 02:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The State, as a defendant in the LB 701 lawsuit, acknowledges that Compact compliance is a State obligation. It does so in its first brief to the Court. The State argues that the taxes allowed to the NRDs in the Republican River Basin are not mandatory but are optional taxes that permit the residents of the Basin to have access to more water. What the State has said to the Basin residents is that the only alternative to the very large tax increase is the loss of access to water for a large portion of the Basin.

Therefore, the State has limited the Republican River Basin to two very unattractive options -- either increase taxes dramatically to cover the State’s obligation or face the prospect of economic catastrophe. The State, by its refusal to honor the duty it negotiated and to which it agreed, has caused the NRDs to plead for higher taxes in order to avoid the only other option the State has made available to them.

There are multiple ways for the State to meet its Compact obligations. It can do so by:

Continue reading "State Obligation" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 11:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Much of the recent focus on water has been on the inability of the NRDs to pay for the surface water they purchased. However, there are even bigger problems.

There is enough water currently in storage in the Nebraska reservoirs to eliminate the accumulated water overage we have with Kansas. It appears that Nebraska intends to allow this water to be used on crops in Nebraska in 2008, rather than give Kansas what it is due according to the Compact. This probably won’t gain Nebraska any sympathy from a judge.

Continue reading "Self Defense" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 12:08 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Senator Christensen says that Senator Louden, chair of the Natural Resources Committee, will not meet with him to discuss oversight of the NRDs. At least that is what the McCook Gazette reports Senator Christensen as saying: http://www.mccookgazette.com/story/1217554.html

The Legislature, specifically the Natural Resource Committee, is responsible for overseeing the DNR and the NRDs. Several of the key statements made by the DNR over the last several years have been wrong. There are a number of errors in the computer simulation that is used to govern the agreement on the Republican River with Kansas; yet, the DNR and the NRDs prefer to keep the errors because it helps advance a goal they have.

Continue reading "The Future" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 09:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

drawn by Jake Stutzman of Hastings

Posted by Steve Smith at 12:59 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Second Omaha World Herald feature article on irrigation

Posted by Steve Smith at 02:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I have put the response to the OWH attack in a word document for easy prrinting and reading.

It is in Microsoft Word

Response to OWH attack

Posted by Steve Smith at 10:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

David Hendee is normally a pretty reasonable reporter. He tends to report the fact with limited amount of editorial content thrown into his reporting. But in his Sunday piece, all the rules of journalism are tossed aside and opions are stated as fact. Perhaps it was an editor that took his work and sliced and diced it but there are a number of problems with the attack on irrigation. Read to the end to see why I think the OWH decided to play dirty at this point in time.

My comments are in blue.

Continue reading "Omaha World Herald Attack on Irrigation" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 10:10 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The reason I keep writing about this is because it is important and because the DNR is telling the NRDs something that is not correct. If you are an NRD board member, it is hard to believe me when you have someone with a PhD telling you something different. That is understandable.

So I have posted the actual language of the agreement the three States signed. I have provided links to the documents that are online so you can read them in context. I have highlighted the key sections.

Continue reading "Where are imports credited at? Again" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WaterClaim provides several levels of information.

Public - Information that is shown here on the web site.

Members - We provide a great deal more information to our members than what is shown on the web site. Members get frequent email updates.

Executive Members - Executive members get all of the regular email plus the more sensitive information such as the who behind various activities. They also determine the direction of WaterClaim.

If you continue to read below, you will see one of the recent emails that went out to members. It shows information that you will find no where else. This particular report is a summary of what Ann Bleed said at her confirmation hearing. It reports what the DNR has told the Senators it intends to do.

If you are a member you get this type of information on a frequent basis. Below is a summary and notes on what each person said.

Continue reading "One Benefit of Membership" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The problem

Nebraska uses more water than it is allowed.

Continue reading "Problem, Causes, Options" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Disclaimer: There are 23 NRDs, each with a distinct personality and style. This obviously applies to some more than others and to some individuals much more than others. This is a generalization.

Ann Bleed has made a number of phone calls complaining that the letter from Kansas that she gave to a group of elected representatives ended up on the WaterClaim site. The NRDs are not happy that the letter was published, and they sure don’t like being chewed out by their lobbyists and the Director of the DNR. Kansas accused the NRDs of not doing enough, and the NRDs are afraid people are going to believe the accusation. Better to just hide the letter and maybe no one will think about it.

Continue reading "If I close my eyes, you won’t see me" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 07:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over the years, many elected public officials have decided that the information they have and the decisions they make should be done without the public knowing all of the details. The usual analogy provided is that if you were buying a car or piece of land, you wouldn’t go out and announce the price you were willing to pay. This concept is frequently used to justify closed door sessions and the withholding of studies, reports, and letters.

Continue reading "Everything Public is the Best Defense" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 09:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Open Policy

Someone isn’t happy that a letter they gave to the public’s representatives was posted on the WaterClaim site. Telling the public’s representatives they can’t share what they know with the public they represent is a bad idea.
It is my belief that all information about water policy should be open to the public and available for review. Any time the DNR meets with the NRDs, anytime NRD board members report back to the full NRD board, anytime there is a letter from Kansas, anytime the NRD board makes policy, etc. it should be public.

Ask yourself what the consequences would be if all information was public? Some have suggested that it would be difficult to take advantage of other NRDs. Some have suggested that it would be more difficult to take advantage of other States. I will argue that trying to take an unfair advantage of another group of people will cause more problems than it is worth. Kansas has access to the same computer simulation, they have access to the same data, they have agents at each of the Republican River Basin NRD meetings. I will argue that Kansas knows more about what is happening than do most of the people in Nebraska. So who are we kidding when we hide information? I will argue that we are only hurting ourselves.

Continue reading "Open Policy" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 09:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

An analogy. The city of Lincoln is over its allocation of electricity. It can either shut off power to every commercial business for several years until it is back in compliance, or it can build a new power line into town to deal with the need. The city is not allowed to use any new taxes, nor can it add to the existing taxes, and the State will not provide funds. Furthermore, the commercial businesses are not allowed to build the line themselves. The only option is for the businesses to learn how to make do with no electricity or for everyone in town to use 1/2 as much.

Continue reading "An analogy" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 04:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Conservation and Survey Division has released some new groundwater maps. Click here to see the maps. The Omaha paper focuses on the 2000 to 2005 map. That is the one that they think maps their point most dramatically. Take a look at all of the maps for yourself.

If you look at the long term maps, there are several areas that are seeing a decline even without the effects of the drought. If we want those declines to stop, we must either stop irrigation or create water projects.

There are a number of people that prefer to stop irrigation. This group of naysayers says it isn't possible to do water projects anymore. At least they hope they can't be done and they do whatever they can to make sure their prediction is true.

WaterClaim believes we must create water projects that stablize the aquifer and maintain the streams, if we want to keep irrigated agriculture. We prefer the wise management of water instead of the shutdown of irrigation.

Posted by Steve Smith at 09:54 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

I get a bit weary of the University of Nebraska thinking the farmers of Nebraska need more education on how to farm. Over the years UNL has spent a lot of time and money telling farmers how to do this or do that. The latest fad is to get a grant to tell farmers how to make more money using less water. The fact is, the cost of pumping water is high enough that almost no one can afford to use any more water than is required to produce a crop.

In my opinion, it is the guys behind the desk in Lincoln that need an education not the farmer who has a lifetiem of experience dealing with limited allocations and droughts. The farmers in the Upper Republican River Basin have lived with strict allocations for over 20 years. They know how to manage water. They rotate crops; capture precipitation; utilize low pressure sprinkers with drops; and use soil blocks, automatic shutoffs when it rains, and a myriad of other things.

Continue reading "Ignorant Farmers Need Educated" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 08:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Perhaps one of you knows, can the Governor commit the State to a multiyear interstate agreement that potentially costs Nebraska hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars without the consent of the Legislature? The President of the United States cannot commit the nation to multi-country treaties without the consent of Congress. Does Nebraska require more than one person to make the decision?

Posted by Steve Smith at 12:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WaterClaim has prepared a Fact Sheet regarding the Cooperative Agreement. You can look at the report in MS Word by clicking on the download file. You may find reading it easier in word than here.

Download file

For those of you that don't have Word or that just want to start reading I have also posted it here for your consideration. This Fact Sheet was prepared after reading the proposed Cooperative Agreement and after talking with Jim Cook of the DNR and Chad Smith of American Rivers.

Continue reading "Cooperative Agreement Fact Sheet" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 03:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

WaterClaim is a non-profit water policy research group representing groundwater irrigation.

Is the Cooperative Agreement a good deal?

WaterClaim says the answer is ‘yes’ and ‘no.’ The answer is ‘yes’ because it creates a framework that protects surface irrigation and the environment. The answer is ‘no’ because: 1) It does not go far enough in addressing the new acres since 1997; 2) It changes when the river flows. The river never has flowed the way it is now proposed to make it flow; 3) Long term, the proposal will force the shutdown of over a third of the current groundwater irrigation wells in the Platte River Basin; and, 4) Nothing in the Agreement addresses the costs associated with the 505,000 acres added since 1997. It only addresses the pre-1997 costs.

Should the Agreement be signed? Perhaps, but not until all of the costs -- not just the pre-1997 ones -- are identified.

Continue reading "WaterClaim Open Letter Regarding the Cooperative Agreement" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 03:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Politicians hate to make difficult decisions. But they do like to see their name in the press when it is associated with handing out money. They like to claim they are solving problems, even if what they are doing is nearly meaningless. Politicians will usually exaggerate. They will always try to portray even their worst failures as grand successes. Such behavior should be expected. Local politicians are no different. It is human nature to want to look good.

The press has the job of checking out what the politicians say to see if it is exaggerated just a little bit or a whole lot. The press has the job of finding what the politician is hiding from the people. If the media fails to do its job, either because it is lazy or doesn't care or has been co-opted, then the system fails.

Continue reading "Do most of us want politicians to lie to us?" »

Posted by Steve Smith at 05:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)