Riley: South Platte canal could help in future droughts

A Nebraska water official says a proposed canal that would bring water from Colorado to Nebraska could help alleviate future droughts.

Tom Riley is Director of Nebraska’s Department of Natural Resources, which oversees how rivers in the state are used. Last week, Riley took a ride with Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts and others to look at possible locations for the so-called Perkins County Canal.

That’s a more than century-old idea, revived by Ricketts this year, to take water from the South Platte River near Ovid, Colorado, and bring it to Nebraska. Riley said if the canal were already built, it could help the current dry conditions.

“This is another piece to help with water supply. I know it’s dry now, but if the project would have been available five years ago, ten years ago, with water storage, presumably we could have been using some of that storage to offset these dry conditions – keep the river wet,” Reilly said.

Riley said that would help with irrigation, power plant cooling, hydropower generation and providing wildlife habitat.

Ricketts’ press release about last week’s said Nebraska officials are “continuing to dialog” regularly with their counterparts in Colorado. Riley says he talked to Colorado State Engineer Kevin Rein recently about Nebraska’s cost/benefit study, due in December. Ricketts office said Nebraska officials did not meet with Colorado officials on their trip into that state last week. Riley said that’s not inconsistent with the spirit of dialogue. “I don’t expect Colorado to call me when they take their governor out and tour wherever,” Riley said.

Ask for reaction from Colorado, Melissa Dworkin, deputy press secretary for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, said “Our patience is drying up with Gov. Ricketts’ narrow approach to a complex issue that requires collaboration and thoughtfulness - not political theater.”