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.
     Approval to hire a lobbyist wasn't exactly a slam dunk. Board members spent nearly 45 minutes discussing the pros and cons of hiring their own lobbyist.
     Jeff Wallin of Imperial, in his first board meeting as a newly elected member, suggested the board hire a lobbyist.
     He said he felt it's important to get someone to represent the board's interests in the Legislature. He also felt the board needed to take action right away, rather than considering the options until next month's meeting.
     "We need to get there early with our message," he told the board.
     One of the big concerns shared by several board members was making sure a lobbyist fully understands the situation in the URNRD and Republican Basin.
     In addition, board members said a lobbyist needs to be on the same page as other lobbyists already working for the basin on the issue.
     "We want our lobbyist to be saying the same things the others are saying," Board member Terry Martin said. "If the story is not straight, that hurts the effort more than it helps."
     Board Chair Greg Pelster said he couldn't think of anyone better to tell the story than the board members themselves.
     Wallin noted a lobbyist's efforts would be in addition to efforts of the board, the manager and the constituents, not in place of.
     The Lower Republican NRD already employs a lobbyist at a cost of $40,000 annually.
     The Nebraska Association of Resource Districts also has staff and paid lobbyists working on water issues on behalf of the NRDs.
     Board member Dean Large said these people already have a good rapport with the senators and felt satisfied with their efforts. He added he was comfortable letting them do the job, along with personal contact with senators by board members.
     Wallin made a motion to instruct Manager Jasper Fanning to find a lobbyist knowledgeable on water issues.
     An amendment to budget $40,000 for the position failed on a 5-6 vote. Wallin, Mike Mosel, Tim Schilke, Mick Strand and Kerry Bernhardt voted in favor while Pelster, Large, Martin, Tom Terryberry, Donn Gengenbach and Tom Gaschler voted against the amendment.
     Another amendment to budget $20,000, along with requirements that the lobbyists have water knowledge, have no conflicts of interest with water issues, to have the district's message and information prepared and have a list of prospects ready for the February meeting passed on a 10-1 vote. Wallin cast the only dissenting vote.
     The final motion approving hiring a lobbyist with the aforementioned conditions passed 10-1, with Pelster casting the only no vote.
    Districts working together
     Fanning told the board that managers of the basin NRDs met recently with the Dept. of Natural Resources in Curtis. He said the NRDs have requested a significant amount of information from DNR to validate DNR's request for lower allocations.
     DNR said reductions in allocations of 15 percent on upland wells and 50 percent or more on alluvial wells near the stream would be necessary in 2008. This would be a start on a path toward compliance with Kansas as part of the compact settlement.
     Each of the NRDs is sending letters to DNR formally requesting the information, which includes stream flow impacts from CREP and EQIP programs, estimates of the lag effect from upland pumping and estimates of the impact riparian management could have on stream flows.
     Fanning said the group also wants to see the state's plan for water-short administration. Having such a plan in place with the compact could allow water-short compliance calculations to be spread across three years instead of two.
     The NRDs are also promoting that DNR consider other options such as intra-basin augmentation of stream flows, as well as interbasin water transfers.
    Pelster re-elected as NRD chair
     Both Pelster and Martin were nominated for chairman during the board's annual reorganization.
     Pelster retained the seat on a 7-4 secret ballot. Martin and Tom Terryberry were elected to vice-chair and secretary/treasurer, respectively, by unanimous ballot.
     Mike Mosel will continue to serve as the board's state association voting delegate.
     The board is preparing a resolution for introduction at an association meeting later this month. The resolution will ask for support from the state's other NRDs urging the state to fund water projects and to help protect the regional and state economy from adverse water policy.
     Roger Stockton, director of the Southwest Nebraska RC&D in Cambridge, said they are moving forward with a project to control tree growth in specific areas in each of the three basin NRDs.
     He said a tree control project undertaken by the Game & Parks Commission west of Benkelman appears to have enhanced local stream flows.
     A representative with Mid-America Renewable Fuels said they have filed permits as one of the steps to build an ethanol plant west of Wauneta.
     Company spokesman Jim Samuelson said their plans for the plant continue to be on track.
     The NRD granted the company an industrial water allocation for the proposed plant. The agreement requires the plant to offset 50 percent of their allocation by retiring other irrigated acres in the alluvial area.