The Model used by Nebraska, Colorado, and Kansas intentionally ignores the effects on conservation practices because the policy makers didn’t want to change them.  This is a quote from the May 7, 2004 High Plains Journal.  

Ann Bleed is currently the interim director of the Nebraska DNR:

“For Nebraska's part, the state fought not to include the effects of conservation activities to the model, [Ann] Bleed said.

"From Nebraska's perspective and I think I'm speaking for both Colorado and Kansas here, our concern was if they were included in the compact, and we got a water-short year like this past year, then there would be perhaps a necessity to start regulating conservation activities to stay in compliance with the compact," she said.

"That is something none of the states wanted to do. We didn't want to get into the business of telling farmers they couldn't use minimum-till or they couldn't put in terraces. That's not part of the consumptive use calculation for the compact."   --- Ann Bleed

Lee Wilson coordinated Nebraska's technical efforts on creation of the computer simulation that computes compliance. This is from a conversation with Lee Wilson on March 13, 2006 regarding the Model.

These are verbatim quotes.

 

Steve Smith:  The Model, when it was set up, the group of people that set it up chose not to include conservation practices in the Modeling results.

 

Lee Wilson:    That is correct.  Well, that’s not quite correct.  That was a directive. 

 

SS:      When you say it was a directive …

 

Lee Wilson:    It was not something that the Modelers chose.  It was chosen by the parties.

 

SS:      And those would be the three States?

 

Lee Wilson:  Right.

 

SS:      Maybe I should stop and ask you what your role was in working on this project.

 

Lee Wilson:    I was the, I coordinated most of Nebraska’s technical efforts. 

 

SS:      I see.  Gotcha.  All right.  This would probably be a good place to ask then.  So it is my understanding that the conservation practices were not included …

 

Lee Wilson:    Correct.