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.
     Fanning said funding will be one of the key issues into whether the effort will be successful.
     The Frenchman-Cambridge Irrigation District has indicated they would consider a one year buyout of the surface water held in Strunk Reservoir, northwest of Cambridge.
     The district has approximately 26,000 acre-feet of water in storage, of which 12-15,000 AF may be deliverable to Kansas.
     In addition to the water in Strunk, the amount of water in Harlan Co. Dam has increased from runoff resulting from the winter snows. As a result, there could be another 20,000 acre-feet available for purchase.
     Last year, the state purchased the available surface water for delivery to Kansas.
     The basin NRDs have all offered support for a combination of either property tax money and/or a per-irrigated-acre fee, to be matched with state money, to help accomplish the buyouts.
     If all other methods fail, the URNRD gave approval to setting up an Improvement Project Area, which could raise funds if approved by voters.
     The board noted this method would only be used as a last resort.
     Frenchman-Cambridge members wanted some indication of what the NRDs plan to do by Wednesday, March 21. A meeting is planned between the entities to further discuss the possibilities.
     Nebraska is seeking to get into compliance with a 2002 settlement with Kansas over water use in the Republican River Basin.
    Board split on new building
     Board members voted 8-3 to proceed with phase two of the plans for a new building to house the district operations.
     Building committee member Terry Martin of Benkelman said proceeding with phase two of the planning would allow the district to better define costs for the new building.
     Projected cost of the building is estimated at more than $800,000. The board has set aside more than $300,000 for the proposed project.
     According to the architect, they will now work with subcontractors to refine cost estimates for such things as heating/air, plumbing, electrical, etc.
     Martin said this will provide the board with much better information on which to make a decision at the May meeting. Cost for the second phase will run about $8,000 but will not commit the district any further, Martin noted.
     He acknowledged some members of the committee feared they may be moving too quickly on the project, adding some members of the public share the same concerns.
     He noted the district still needs a building and that there is never a good time to build a building.
     Board Member Jeff Wallin of Imperial said he feels the district needs to put the project on hold until some decisions are made on the surface water buyout and overall compliance.
     Board Member Kerry Bernhardt of Champion agreed, saying he can't see wasting money on the project when the board is considering assessing a per-acre fee on irrigated ground.
     He and Board Member Mick Strand of Wauneta said they have not talked to anyone in favor of the project.
     Chair Greg Pelster of Elsie said he didn't feel the building decisions should be based solely around compliance. The district still has a need for a facility to enhance the productivity of their staff.
     "It requires some vision," Pelster said. "I ask you to look with us."
     Strand said the public must be made aware of the needs the district has and why a new building is being considered.
     Fanning said they are already looking at some alternatives that could reduce the overall cost of the building.
     Dean Large, a board member from Wauneta, said the board doesn't have the necessary information to make a decision without proceeding with phase two of the planning. Even by completing phase two, the board is still not committed to proceed, he added.
     On a roll call vote, Wallin, Strand and Bernhardt were the only members to vote against proceeding.
    Testimony addressed
     Wallin addressed the board, saying he didn't feel it was appropriate for the board to take a stand on water legislation without a formal vote by the board.
     The NRD offered testimony in support for a bill to control vegetation on the Republican River but opposed LB 701, offered by Sen. Mark Christensen of Imperial, to address water issues in the basin.
     Fanning said discussion during a special meeting centered on opposing the bill, but noted no formal action was taken. Fanning said he felt he had his marching orders from the board, based on the discussion prior to the hearing on LB 701.
     Wallin still felt the board needs to go on the record when addressing legislation.
     When questioned about his own testimony, Wallin said he told the Natural Resources Committee he was a member of the NRD board but added that he was testifying on his own behalf and not as a representative of the board.
     The record indicated he did exactly that.
     Both Large and Pelster offered their support for Fanning's actions, with Pelster noting it was time to move past the issue.
    Regular meeting date changed
     In other action, the board approved changing the regular meeting date from the second Tuesday of the month to the first Tuesday of each month.
     This will allow the board to better interact with the other basin NRDs on actions taken at their meeting.
     Presently, the Middle and Upper both meet on the same night. Fanning said it would be advantageous to not be meeting on the same night.
     The board also gave approval to share one-fourth of the $9,000 cost to complete an economic impact study on the basin. The study will examine the effects a state proposal for reduced allocations on both upland and quick response wells would have throughout the basin.