By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     It's a high-stakes game and the Upper Republican Natural Resource District board is not about to tip its hand now.
     That's why the board voted to go into executive session during their regular meeting Tuesday night, Aug. 7.
     Over the objections of board member Jeff Wallin, the board voted 10-1 to go into closed session to discuss strategy in negotiations with the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) over allocations.
     More...

    The 2007 Great Plains Conference on Improving Water Productivity is scheduled today (Thursday) at the North Platte Community College.
     The conference, which will be in the south campus auditorium, will provide the most current information on how to get more production from available water, said University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension educator Alan Corr.
     More...

    By Nate Jenkins
    Associated Press Writer
     LINCOLN (AP)-A key water meeting Nebraska officials have anticipated for months as a chance to head off legal action from Kansas could instead give the neighbor more ammunition.
     The trouble is double for Nebraska: a likely finding that it broke a requirement by not sending enough water to Kansas via the Republican River the last two years, and an expected failure to produce a strategy to achieve compliance in the future.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
     So just how far is Nebraska out of compliance with the compact settlement with Kansas?
     That's what URNRD Board Member Kerry Bernhardt asked DNR Director Ann Bleed during a meeting in Imperial here Friday.
     She said only preliminary numbers for 2006 water use have been calculated but estimated Nebraska fell short by 33,000 acre-feet (AF). An acre foot of water will cover an acre of ground 12 inches deep.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
    
     When it comes to setting irrigations allocations for the next allocation period, it appears there's no resolution between the Department of Natural Resources and the Upper Republican Natural Resource District.
     Members of the URNRD board met with DNR Director Ann Bleed and staff during a special meeting in Imperial Friday.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publisher
    When the Legislature passed LB 701 this spring, many people in the Republican Basin breathed a sigh of relief because they believed the tools were now in place to solve compliance issues with the Republican River Compact Settlement with Kansas.
     The new law added a per-acre-fee on irrigators and increased the amount of tax levy that natural resource districts could collect to help with compliance issues. The people in the basin, both irrigators and taxpayers, will help pay the tab and thought their worries about water issues were about to turn around.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin & Jan Schultz
    The Imperial Republican
     Members of the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee will hold hearings Tuesday, July 31, on three different studies on water issues in the state.
     The hearings will be held in North Platte at the McDonald Belton campus of North Platte Community College, 601 W. State Farm Road.
     More...

    The Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) has awarded $2 million in grant funds for four projects to address riparian vegetation overgrowth in the Republican and Platte river basins.
     Two projects address invasive vegetation in the Republican River Basin and two are directed to the North Platte River Basin.
     Agriculture Director Greg Ibach said the four projects represent an important step toward improving the health of riparian areas and streamflow.
     More...

    Recent rains have many thinking the six-year drought in western Nebraska is over, and it may be–but maybe not, said a University of Nebraska–Lincoln specialist.
     "Although we've had well above normal rainfall in the Republican Basin of Nebraska, and we may be out of the drought there, until water levels are near normal for this time of year in McConaughy, I don't think we're out of the drought," said Jim Goeke, UNL's hydrogeologist at the West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     At a time when the state's Department of Natural Resources has proposed significant lower irrigation allocations in the future, board members in the Lower Republican Natural Resource District fired off a shot of their own last week.
     They forwarded a proposal to set a district-wide allocation in the LRNRD of 11 inches per acre for a five-year period. The allocation must face a public hearing before becoming part of the district's rules and regulations.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     After major efforts by the Republican River Basin natural resource districts to buy surface water, reduce consumption and get legislation passed to pay for compliance efforts, the NRDs came away shocked by allocation recommendations offered by the Department of Natural Resources.
     More...

    Jasper Fanning, URNRD manager, told the board last week it appears the district will need to collect the entire 10-cent levy and a $6.25 per-irrigated acre fee to pay for the district's share of the surface water buyouts this year.
     The levy and per-acre occupation fee represented key components of LB 701, the major water bill passed by the Legislature this year to address compact compliance issues with Kansas.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Board members of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District voted this month to finish construction specs and seek bids for a new building.
     The new building would replace the agency's current building in Imperial.
     Building committee member Terry Martin said the committee looked at various ways to cut costs on the proposed facility.
     More...

    Water is one of Nebraska's most precious resources. The state depends on it for domestic, municipal, agricultural and industrial uses.
     But what do we know about this resource? What is its true value? What is the price of water?
     "The Price of Water," a new documentary produced by Nebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET), will address these and other issues, and stimulate thought and discussion about water in Nebraska, its conservation and management and its role in the lives of all Nebraskans.
     More...

    RED CLOUD (AP)-Directors of the Nebraska Bostwick Irrigation District last week approved selling some of its stored and surface water to the state for about $5.7 million.
     The deal involves 12,500 acre-feet of water the district has stored in Harlan County Reservoir and 5,000 acre-feet of the Republican River's natural flow.
     Last year the district sold around 10,000 acre-feet in Harlan plus 5,000 acre-feet of river flow for about $2.5 million.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Progress continues to be made towards the construction of an ethanol plant in Imperial.
     A spokesman with Central Bio-Energy LLC, (CBE) headquartered in Grand Island, said progress is being made towards the construction of a 100-million gallon plant in Imperial.
     More...

    By Carolyn Lee
    The Imperial Republican
     The recent rains in Chase County have been good for crops, lawns and tempers. However, standing water left by the showers provides excellent breeding areas for mosquitoes, University of Nebraska-Lincoln entomologists say.
     Mosquitoes are carriers of West Nile virus, which can be transferred to humans, horses and birds.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     The Upper Republican Natural Resource District board approved an interlocal agreement last week to join with other Republican River basin NRDs in issuing bonds to pay for surface water purchases.
     The agreement creates a joint agency between the Upper, Middle and Lower Republican NRDs with the authority to issue bonds. The power was granted to the NRDs under the recently passed water bill, LB 701, sponsored by Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publisher
     No one relishes the idea of paying more taxes. But in the case of LB 701, the taxes and fee included in the bill to address compact compli-ance issues in the Republican River basin may well make the difference between survival and disaster for both our farmers and communities.
     The bill gives the NRDs the authority to collect a $10 per-irrigated-acre fee in addition to additional levy authority of 10 cents per $100 of assessed value.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Sen. Mark Christensen's water bill, LB 701, moved to within one step of passage following a 33-0 vote on second reading last Thursday, April 19.
     Christensen said Monday it appears the bill will gain approval on final reading, after which it will go to Gov. Dave Heineman's desk.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Senator Mark Christensen's landmark water bill, LB 701, took the first step towards passage last week. Legislators voted 38-1 to pass the measure to the second round of debate later this week.
     Despite last week's overwhelming vote to advance the legislation, Christensen is gearing up for a fight when the bill comes up for second round debate this week.
     More...

    While supportive of the development of a long-term water plan, the Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) is firmly opposed to extending a special checkoff on corn producers to help fund the effort.
     Steve Ebke of Daykin, chairman of the board of NeCGA, delivered that message to the legislature's Natural Resources Committee last week. Ebke testified on LB701, which contains Governor Dave Heineman's proposal to establish a Water Resources Cash Fund. To help fund his plan, the governor proposes to extend the current ethanol checkoff on corn producers beyond its scheduled expiration in 2012.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Board members of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District heard a request last week for a water allocation for a second ethanol plant near Madrid.
     Bob Lundeen, chief executive officer for Mid-American/Agri Products/Wheatland, LLC, said this week they are seeking an allocation for a 110-million gallon ethanol plant.
     More...

    Freshman Senator Mark Christensen of Imperial has quickly learned that unicameral politics is a game of give and take, where you don't always get exactly what you want. In the end, you hope the compromises you make are best for the district you represent.
     Such is true for his priority water bill, LB 701, which seeks to create ways the Republican Basin can stay in compliance with a 2002 settlement with Kansas.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Since its inception, Imperial Senator Mark Christensen's water bill, LB 701, set forth the direction to address water issues in the Republican River basin.
     After two previous drafts have been gutted, the bill has new life in yet its third form.
     Water interests in the basin, working with Christensen, the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee and Speaker Mike Flood, appear to have crafted a comprehensive bill to address a number of needs for the basin and state.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Natural resource districts in the Republican River Basin are pursuing the possibility of purchasing surface water to help the basin with compliance issues with Kansas.
     During the Upper Republican NRD's regular meeting Tuesday, March 13, Manager Jasper Fanning said the basin NRDs are all in agreement on efforts to buy out surface water this year.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     In a March 2 ruling, the Nebraska Supreme Court said communications by a public body during a closed session are not considered privileged information.
     "There is no absolute privilege for communications made during a closed session," the high court said it its ruling.
     More...

    In Nebraska, state statutes, known as the Open Meetings Act, allow public bodies to go into closed session for several tightly defined rea-sons: when it is clearly necessary for the protection of the public interest or for the prevention of needless injury to the reputation of an individual and if such individual has not requested a public meeting.
     The statutes state the closed sessions may be held for, but shall not be limited to, such reasons as:
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     More than 200 people from throughout the Republican River Basin packed a pair of legislative hearing rooms at the state capitol in Lincoln Wednesday, Feb. 28.
     They came to testify on a pair of bills that seek to address compliance issues in the basin necessitated by the 2002 Republican River Compact Settlement with Kansas.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Input from farmers in the Republican River basin will help determine whether or not a per-irrigated-acre fee will be sought to finance compliance activities.
     With another surface water lease becoming a possibility, natural resource districts in the Republican Basin are seeking to gauge support for a fee that could range up to $10 per irrigated acre.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Nine members of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District board voted at a special meeting Monday to endorse a proposed basin-wide effort to seek funding for compliance efforts.
     The joint plan came on the heels of two meetings last week.
     The first meeting occurred in Lincoln last Wednesday between basin NRD officials, Senator Mark Christensen and Governor Dave Heineman.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Just two days before the scheduled hearing on LB 701, Senator Mark Christensen gutted his water bill and amended it with entirely new language.
     During his weekly teleconference Tuesday, Christensen said his new amendment takes out three parts of the bill that were drawing the most opposition.
     More...

    Under Secretary of Agriculture Gale Buchanan will open the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's fourth annual Water Law, Policy and Science conference next month.
     The conference is March 26-27 at Lincoln's Embassy Suites.
     "It is a great honor for the university to host Dr. Buchanan," said John Owens, UNL vice chancellor of the Institute for Agriculture and Natural Resources and NU vice president. "He has extensive experience in agricultural research and extension education and we expect his talk to focus on agriculture and water, as well as on U.S. Department of Agriculture's expanding scientific research and other efforts to better meet national needs."
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Senator Mark Christensen's water bill to address compliance issues in the Republican River basin will face its first big test in Lincoln next Wednesday.
     Members of the Legislature's Natural Resources Committee will hold a hearing on LB 701 to take testimony on the bill.
     More...

    By Jan Schultz
    The Imperial Republican
     State Sen. Mark Christensen updated members of the WIFE organization on some of the issues he is dealing with in Lincoln, most notably water.
     With a day off from his legislative duties due to President's Day, Christensen was special guest at a luncheon Monday in Imperial, hosted by WIFE, which stands for Women Involved in Farm Economics.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Board members of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District decided they could better influence water policy in the state with a public relations firm rather than a lobbyist.
     Members voted 9-0 at their regular meeting last week to hire the Philip M. Young Company of Lincoln to assist with directing water policy through public opinion.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publisher
     Next Wednesday, state senators on the Legislatures Natural Re-sources Committee will hear a bill that could well determine the future of southwest Nebraska and the entire Republican River basin.
     The senators will hold a hearing on Imperial Senator Mark Christensens water bill, LB 701. He drafted the bill to address water issues facing the Republican basin. More specifically, the bill focuses on ways to get Nebraska in compliance with a 2002 settlement with Kansas over water flows into that state from the Nebraska side of the basin.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Chase County commissioners will refer a request for a new NRD building near the fair grounds to the fair board.
     Jasper Fanning, manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District, met with commissioners at their regular meeting Tuesday to discuss a possible building site.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Realizing the importance of Senator Mark Christensen's water bill LB 701, Chase County Schools will provide a bus to attend the hearing on the bill Wednesday, Feb. 28.
     Superintendent Matt Fisher said the school will offer a bus to take people who want to testify at the hearing or attend in support of the bill.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Frustrated by the lack of leadership shown by the state, the negotiating committee of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District decided to take the lead and formulate its own plan for basin-wide compliance.
     During a special meeting Feb. 6, the committee presented their proposal to the full board for their consideration.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     The focus on water issues in the Republican River Basin continues to intensify as the state seeks to comply with a settlement reached with Kansas in 2002.
     Senator Mark Christensen of Imperial, who represents the 44th District, has introduced a major water bill, LB 701, that could help Nebraska with ways to meet compliance.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     The Upper Republican Natural Resource District board has already put a lobbyist to work for them-their own manager, Jasper Fanning.
     And while Fanning will help tell the NRD's story, he said the board will still consider whether to hire an additional lobbyist at their Feb. 13 meeting.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Senator Mark Christensen knows his water bill, LB 701, will face a tough battle, first getting it out of committee, and then getting the 25 votes necessary for passage.
     He also knows the bill faces opposition from other Nebraska natural resource districts outside of the Republican Basin.
     More...

    Earlier this week, the first shots were fired over the bow on the water issues facing Republican Basin, and more especially Senator Mark Christensen's bill, LB 701, designed to address issues in the Republican Basin.
     The first big challenge of the bill, which among other things allows for the augmentation (or transfer) of water into the basin, came at the state meeting of the Nebraska Association of Resource Districts in Lincoln this week.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Making sure the story of water issues in the Republican Basin gets told in Lincoln became a focus of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District board.
     During their regular meeting Jan. 9 in Imperial, board members voted 10-1 to seek out a lobbyist to work on the district's and basin's behalf during the current Legislative session.
     More...

    n Christensen working on water bill. PAGE 2.
    By Jan Schultz
    The Imperial Republican
     State Sen. Mark Christensen will serve on the Unicameral's natural resources committee where water legislation will pass through this session.
     During committee elections last week following the Jan. 3 swearing-in ceremony, Christensen of Imperial also was named to the banking and insurance committee.
     More...

    n Sen. Christensen gets spot on Natural Resources committee. PAGE 1.
    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Senator Mark Christensen of Imperial campaigned hard on water issues facing the Republican Basin. Now, he's focusing his efforts on making good on those promises.
     In his first weekly teleconference Tuesday, Christensen said he's been spending lots of time on the water bill he plans to introduce this session.
     More...

    One need look no further than the Omaha World-Herald to see that the powers that be in Eastern Nebraska are seeking to dictate how water issues are handled in the Republican Basin.
     The writers of Sunday's lead editorial in the World-Herald said the CREP and EQIP programs will get Nebraska on the "right road" to solving water problems in the state.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Two companies seeking to build ethanol plants in Chase County will likely need to offset 50 percent of their water allocation.
     Company representatives from Mid-America Renewable Fuels and Central Bio-Energy, LLC met Nov. 14 with the variance committee of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Everyone's anxious to see what the next move will be in a complicated game of chess over water in the Republican River Basin.
     On Wednesday, Aug. 15, Gov. Dave Heineman came to Imperial to visit the Chase County Fair and the topic everyone wanted to talk about was water.
     More...

    This week's opening of the US BioEnergy ethanol plant in Ord signals continued economic growth for Nebraska as statewide ethanol production capacity surpasses one billion gallons per year.
     "Ethanol is the smart choice for Nebraska drivers and Nebraska's economy," said Todd Sneller, administrator of the Nebraska Ethanol Board. "With 16 ethanol plants producing a billion gallons a year, Nebraska is taking its place as a leader in energy independence and a leader in economic growth that benefits the whole state."
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Negotiations between the Upper Republican Natural Resource District and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources appear to be leading to some type of agreement on allocations for the district.
     During their regular meeting Tuesday, Sept. 4, the board learned that DNR has conceded that NRD's rules and regulations, which include the groundwater irrigation allocations, do not need to be part of the integrated management plan approved by DNR.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Property owners in the Upper Republican Natural Resource District will help pay for compact compliance measures in the 2007-08 budget approved by the board at their Sept. 4 meeting.
     In addition, the budget includes an expenditure for the construction of a new office building and shop for the district.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
    ■ Heineman asking Kansas to be a good neighbor.
    
     Following months of negotiations with the state, the board of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District (NRD) will hold a special meeting tonight (Thursday) to begin the process of setting allocations and adopting a new integrated management plan.
     More...

    By Nate Jenkins
    Associated Press Writer
    ■ Special NRD meeting tonight to address allocation and IMP. PAGE 1.
     KEARNEY (AP)-Nebraska may still wind up in court for using more Republican River water than allowed, but the state is building a case that it shouldn't be punished with millions of dollars in damages or be forced to shut down irrigation wells.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     For more than two hours last Thursday night, local and state water officials hammered out changes to an integrated management plan (IMP) to make it acceptable to both parties.
     Board members of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District (URNRD) met with Ann Bleed, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR), to review the proposed document.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Patrons in the Upper Republican Natural Resource District (URNRD) will get the opportunity to provide input on the district's new integrated management plan (IMP) Thursday, Nov. 1.
     The board voted during their regular meeting last week to set a special hearing for 7:30 p.m., Nov. 1 at the Lied Imperial Library to review the IMP and get input from patrons throughout the district.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
    ■ Lawsuit on LB 701 could affect integrated management plan. PAGE 1.
     One plan to help Nebraska achieve compliance with Kansas as part of the Republican River Compact Settlement could be stream augmentation.
     Jasper Fanning, manager of the Upper Republican Natural Resource District, said the concept got a boost from data resulting from a recent run of the water model used to measure compliance.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
    ■ Could stream augmentation be the answer for compliance? PAGE 2.
     Consideration of an integrated management plan (IMP) for the Upper Republican Natural Resource District (URNRD) will wait for at least another month.
     During their regular meeting in Imperial Nov. 6, board members opted to wait until next month before discussing possible adoption of an IMP for the district.
     More...

    Ethanol production in Nebraska may increase public water costs and regulatory pressure, said a University of Nebraska–Lincoln engineer.
     Although ethanol production doesn't require prohibitive amounts of water, irrigation water to raise corn may tax Nebraska's water supplies, said Derrel Martin, professor of biological systems engineering, during a recent workshop at UNL's West Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     The proposed integrated management plan (IMP) for the Upper Republican Natural Resource District (URNRD) drew little testimony during a hearing held Thursday, Nov. 1.
     Less than 30 people attended the hearing held in Imperial.
     Speaking on behalf of the Bureau of Reclamation, Area Director Aaron Thompson of Grand Island said they are concerned about the viability of their projects in the Republican Basin.
     More...

    Imperial has been designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community by The Groundwater Foundation in recognition of its efforts to protect local groundwater supplies.
     Imperial was designated as a Groundwater Guardian Community for the 2007 program year and is among 139 communities in 34 states and one Canadian province to receive this designation.
     Groundwater Guardian is a program of The Groundwater Foundation which encourages citizen involvement in groundwater education and protection at the local level. Groundwater Guardians form diverse teams of citizens, business/agriculture, local government and educators and work together to implement activities that address the groundwater concerns and issues of the community, ranging from youth water festivals to household hazardous waste pickups to wellhead protection ordinances.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Natural resource districts in the Republican Basin continue to work with state officials on ways to pay for 2007 surface water leases.
     Ultimately, it could take legislation in the next session of the Nebraska Legislature to clear the way for getting the surface irrigators paid.
     More...

    With three new plants in November, annual corn demand for ethanol production in Nebraska passed the five hundred million bushel mark for the first time, using 37% of Nebraska's corn.
     Corn prices have remained virtually unchanged since World War II. Increased demand from ethanol production has raised average corn prices by 70% and is driving an economic resurgence in rural Nebraska.
     More...

    Republican River Riparian Partnership will be hosting a conference, Tuesday, Nov. 27, 9:30 a.m., at the 4-H Building on the Red Willow County Fairgrounds.
     This conference is designed to encourage people who live and work along the river to attend and participate in determining what they want the Republican River to look like in 30 years and beyond.
     More...

    The ethanol industry has directly created almost 1,000 permanent jobs at 21 operating ethanol plants in the state.
     The average salary of these jobs is around $49,000, according to a 2006 survey conducted by the Nebraska Ethanol board. This salary is well above the Nebraska average of $34,300, according to the US Department of Labor.
     Demand for skilled workers in the ethanol sector continued to push salary compensation higher in 2007.
     More...

    Thirteen free public lectures that begin in January at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln will examine wide-ranging local to international water and climate change issues.
     "One of our goals this spring is to expose lecture attendees to some of the most provocative speakers on issues ranging from future water use policy here in the Great Plains and invasive species concerns in our own Republican River basin to perspectives on international concerns over global climate change and drought policy," said UNL Water Center assistant director Lorrie Benson.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Irrigators in the Upper Republican Natural Resources District (URNRD) will likely receive a slight reduction in their new allocation versus a reduction in acres.
     During the URNRD board's regular meeting Tuesday, Dec. 4, the groundwater committee proposed a five-year allocation of 13 inches as part of the new rules and regulations.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Kansas started the clock ticking last week by officially notifying Nebraska they want actions taken to bring Nebraska into compliance with the Republican River Compact Settlement (RRCS).
     David Barfield, chief engineer for the Kansas Department of Agriculture, sent a letter to Ann Bleed, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, outlining specific actions they expect Nebraska to take.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Water issues will continue to grab the focus of 44th District Senator Mark Christensen of Imperial when the Legislature reconvenes next week.
     If legislators thought they addressed water issues in the Republican Basin last session with the passage of LB 701, they've been proven wrong.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Irrigators in the Upper Republican Natural Resource District will get to offer input on the proposed rules and regulations (R&R) for the district.
     The URNRD will hold a hearing on the proposals in Imperial tonight (Thursday, Jan. 24) beginning at 6 p.m. at the Lied Imperial Library on the corner of 7th and Broadway.
     More...

    Two guest speakers will make featured presentations about groundwater levels and water usage at the Nebraska Ethanol Board meeting on Friday, Jan. 25.
     The presentations will address issues raised in recent national reports regarding water resource management as Nebraska and the nation increase biofuels production.
     The guest speakers include Greg Krissek of ICM and Mark Burbach of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Kansas' top water official took little time in asking the Republican River Compact Commission (RRCC) to address a dispute between Nebraska and Kansas over Nebraska's non-compliance with Republican River Compact Settlement (RRCS).
     On Monday, Feb. 4, Ann Bleed, director of Nebraska's Department of Natural Resources (DNR), responded to a December letter from Kansas Chief Engineer David Barfield.
     More...

    ■ Constitutionality of LB 701 gets its first test Jan. 24. PAGE 1.
    
    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Should Kansas seek non-binding arbitration with Nebraska over Republican River water use, natural resource districts in the basin want to make sure they're included in the loop.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Nebraska's director of the Department of Natural Resources didn't feel last week's meeting of Republican River Compact Administration officials changed any minds. But, it did buy Nebraska some more time in their dispute with Kansas.
     Director Ann Bleed met for two days last week with David Barfield, chief engineer of the Kansas Division of Water Resources, and Dick Wolfe, chief engineer of the Colorado Division of Water Resources.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Natural resource district officials in the Republican River Basin and irrigators alike all had their eyes on a meeting of state compact officials in Kansas City, Mo., this week.
     Representatives from Nebraska, Colorado and Kansas on the Republican River Compact Administration met Tuesday and Wednesday to address compliance issues in the basin.
     More...

    Colorado to meet with compact administration about pipeline
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Talk about getting blind-sided. That's how many state and natural resource district (NRD) officials felt Monday when they heard about the abrupt retirement of Ann Bleed, 66, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
     Her retirement comes as Nebraska finds itself deep in the middle of possible litigation threatened by Kansas over Republican River Basin water use.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     One of the runoffs that will occur during next Tuesday's primary election will be for the subdistrict 5 seat on the Upper Republican Natural Resources District board.
     Tom Gaschler of Imperial is the incumbent after initially being appointed to the position following the resignation of Kenny Owens.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publisher
    When word started circulating Monday that Ann Bleed, director of Nebraska's Department of Natural Resources, had either been fired, resigned or retired, there was plenty of cause for concern throughout the Republican River Basin.
     Since 2005, Bleed has taken the lead role in setting direction for water policy in the Republican Basin in terms of keeping Nebraska in compliance with a 2002 settlement with Kansas over Republican water.
     More...

    An early June water and natural resources tour will visit the Lower Republican River Basin in Kansas and Nebraska to help answer water use questions.
     The annual University of Nebraska-Lincoln and Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce water and natural resources tour is June 3-5, beginning and ending on UNL's East Campus.
     "With Kansas once again threatening Nebraska with alleged non-compliance issues under the three-state Republican River compact, it will be a very opportune time for the tour to visit the basin," said tour co-organizer Michael Jess, associate director of UNL's Water Center.
     More...

    By Russ Pankonin
    The Imperial Republican
     Responding to requests from Nebraska to determine damages suffered from Nebraska's overuse of Republican River Basin water, Kansas says it wants $72.3 million.
     But the correspondence sent to Nebraska Tuesday, April 22, by Kansas' chief water engineer mentions nothing about damages suffered by that state.
     More...