By Russ Pankonin, The Imperial Republican Co-Publi

    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.
     Managers and members of the association's legislative committee review all legislation pertinent to natural resource districts and forward recommendations to the general voting delegates.
     When LB 701 came up before the managers of the 23 districts in the state, Upper Republican Manager Jasper Fanning said nearly half opposed the bill and wanted the association to take a similar stand.
     Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed and Fanning was among those able to shepherd a compromise that the association take no stand on the bill at all. Had the association voted to oppose the bill, LB 701 would have likely been dead in the water (no pun intended).
     But while the association did not take a formal stand on the bill, they did accept policy that does not favor inter-basin transfers. This remedy could play a key role in allowing Nebraka to come back into compliance with the compact settlement with Kansas over delivery of water to that state.
     What this means is that while the NARD lobbyists will still be able to help lobby for LB 701, they can not lobby for inter-basin transfers as part of the bill.
     However, the NRDs in the Republican Basin, along with we constituents, can still lobby for the bill in its entirety. This bill offers the only viable alternative to drastic proposed irrigation allocations cuts that could unravel the economies of communities throughout the basin.
     The fight over water in the Republican Basin is just a precursor of what's coming for the Platte River Basin and other parts of Nebraska. Until the Platte Basin starts feeling the ripple effect like the Republican Basin is experiencing, it's unlikely other parts of the state, especially Lincoln and Omaha, will have any empathy or sympathy for what our basin is dealing with.
     Recently, I urged you to become involved in lobbying for the future of our basin. As can be seen from actions earlier this week, it only solidifies the basis for the pleas for you to become involved because the fight will get much tougher and more difficult from here on out. Get involved-your livelihoods depend on it!