Water Projects, Preparations for Livestock Disease Move Ahead

Two big water proposals moved ahead today (Friday) in the Legislature, despite serious questions some senators still have about them. And lawmakers advanced a proposal to be more prepared in case of an outbreak of a catastrophic livestock disease.

The first big water project is a canal to bring water from the South Platte River in Colorado into western Nebraska, where it would be stored in new reservoirs. Gov. Pete Ricketts says the so-called Perkins County Canal project, authorized by a 100-year-old compact between the states but never built, is needed to prevent Colorado from using up 90 percent of the water in the river before it reaches Nebraska. He has proposed setting aside $500 million for the project. Friday, the Appropriations Committee recommended spending about 5 percent of that $22.5 million, to study the feasibility and design of the canal. Sen. Tony Vargas explained what he thinks the committee is saying.

“We all care about water rights. We care about protecting our water rights. And we care about demonstrating and showing that to Colorado, that we’re serious. But we also need to make sure that we are conservative about the long-term fiscal health of our state,” Vargas said.

Vargas said it would be up to future legislators to decide if the project is worth it.

“At times, we have done studies or we have put forward dollars for designs, and those initiatives move forward, and sometimes they don’t… We need the future Appropriations Committee to look at all of those factors and decide if this is the thing they’re going to continue to move forward on,” he said.

Among questions still to be answered is how much the canal would ultimately cost and how Nebraska would exercise the eminent domain rights the compact gives it to take land in Colorado. Meanwhile, the Natural Resources Committee voted 5-1 Friday to advance legislation giving the Department of Natural Resources the authority to build and operate the canal. Sen. Dan Hughes has named the bill his personal priority, maximizing the chances it will be debated this year.

The Natural Resources Committee also voted to advance a study for another big water project, a 4,000-acre lake that would be dug along the Platte River between Lincoln and Omaha. The legislation also includes marinas at Lake McConaughy and Lewis and Clark Lake and a new lodge at Niobrara State Park, for a total cost of $200 million. But once again, the decision on how much money to recommend is up to the Appropriations Committee, which will consider it Monday.

Also Friday, senators advanced a proposal aimed at better preparing the state for a catastrophic outbreak of livestock disease. Sen. Tom Brandt said the purpose of the bill is “to professionally and humanely dispose of mortalities in the horrific event that the state of Nebraska contracts African Swine Fever, BSE, Hoof-and-Mouth disease.” T

“There’s a whole litany of bad things that can happen out there,” Brandt added.

Sen. Steve Halloran said livestock organizations agree the state needs to be better prepared. Halloran listed some equipment he said the state Department of Agriculture could buy and prepare to use under the bill..

“Having the capacity to respond appropriately and quickly entails the need for acquisition of euthanizing equipment, potential stockpiling of carbon resources for use in burial and composting,” Halloran said.

“Carbon resources” includes things like corn stock bales and wood chips.

The Appropriations Committee has been asked for $7 million to fund purchases and planning.