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As droughts intensify water competition, Nebraska eyes diversions from Colorado

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As droughts intensify water competition, Nebraska eyes diversions from Colorado


Competitors for irrigation water is heating up throughout the West and Plains as states battle to take care of extended change, and the battles are anticipated to grow to be extra intense within the coming years as a result of local weather change.

With that in thoughts, Nebraska is taking a proactive strategy to make sure entry to water when it’s wanted, even on the threat of beginning a dispute with its neighbors in Colorado.

Utilizing a 99-year-old settlement, Nebraska is shifting ahead with plans to construct a canal that might divert water into the state from the South Platte River in Colorado throughout the non-irrigation season.

Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts stated it’s essential for Nebraska to say its water rights “within the non-irrigation season, to have the ability to retailer that water in a reservoir system after which permit that to re-time these water flows to return out in dry seasons like droughts that now we have as we speak.”

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Officers in Colorado concede Nebraska has the suitable to divert the South Platte, however say Nebraska almost certainly received’t obtain the objective they’re after and can solely harm Colorado irrigators within the course of.

“I might hate for them to spend all that cash after which get half the water they thought they have been going to get after which there’s some sort of combat,” stated Jim Yahn, a farmer and the final supervisor for Colorado’s North Sterling Irrigation District.

Droughts are projected to grow to be much more widespread over the western Plains and western United States in coming a long time, in keeping with local weather forecasts. States within the Colorado River Basin have up to now been unable to agree on cuts in water utilization demanded by the Bureau of Reclamation this 12 months to keep up sufficient water for hydropower technology.

“Beneath long-term local weather change, irrigated acreage is anticipated to lower, as a result of a mixture of declining water assets and a diminishing relative profitability of irrigated manufacturing,” in keeping with the federal authorities’s newest local weather evaluation. The report notes that groundwater provides are already in decline within the area.

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The 1923 South Platte River Compact ensures Colorado will cross a imply movement of 120 cubic ft per second to Nebraska throughout the irrigation season, and provides Nebraska the suitable to construct a canal to divert 500 cubic ft per second throughout the non-irrigation season, which runs from Oct. 15 to April 1.

Ricketts introduced his proposal to construct the Perkins County Canal in January 2022 after Colorado launched its 2021 Basin Implementation Plan (BIP) for the South Platte Basin, which added 185 new tasks for consideration that might value greater than $9.8 billion to implement.

Ricketts instructed Agri-Pulse that the discharge of the Colorado plan “left us a really brief timeframe to tug collectively our plans after which talk them in time to get appropriations within the 2022 legislative session.” He stated Colorado was “proposing to take all of our water” that’s reserved to Nebraska below the compact.

His administration additionally is anxious in regards to the projected inhabitants progress and thus elevated water calls for for fast-growing cities alongside Colorado’s Entrance Vary. For instance, Denver depends on each the South Platte and the Colorado River Basin and is thought to offset low water ranges in a single basin through the use of further water from the opposite.

Nebraska has made two failed makes an attempt earlier than to divert water from the South Platte, however Ricketts believes his plan has the assist and funding to get accomplished. The primary try failed within the Nineties for monetary causes. The second effort, within the Nineteen Eighties, obtained tangled in environmental considerations.

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Ricketts acquired authority throughout the 2022 legislative session to plan and assemble the Perkins County Canal beginning with $53.5 million.

Colorado officers don’t imagine the mission will restrict their state’s use of the water as a lot as Nebraska thinks.

Kevin Rein, director of the Colorado Division of Water Assets, says language within the compact received’t permit the canal to curtail diversions for growth upstream, together with the Denver space, no matter how junior that space’s rights are.

The one mission in Colorado that might truly be affected by the canal is a small reservoir close to Sterling, in keeping with Yahn. The mission is in an space often called District 64, parts of which have extra junior water rights below the compact.

Even then, the compact says District 64 is entitled to the primary 35,000 acre-feet of water from Oct. 15 by April 1, Yahn stated. He went on to say, consequently, it might be January earlier than Nebraska might begin diverting water.

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Pete-Ricketts-300.jpgNebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts

Yahn additionally stated the mission might in the end hurt farmers in Colorado. “In the event that they construct the canal, the folks that it’ll have an effect on most are the farmers in District 64. They use that water within the wintertime to offset their effectively pumping, which helps meet their obligation to Nebraska within the summertime,” stated Yahn.

“It’s sort of ironic to me that Nebraska needs to construct this for irrigation of farm floor in Nebraska due to the inhabitants progress in Colorado, however when in actual fact the those that it hurts are the neighbors, the farmers, simply to the west.”

Ricketts argues that the mission will assist farmers in each states.

“I believe this may truly profit these producers in Colorado and Nebraska, as a result of a canal will assist do the water recharging groundwater sources. Clearly, that can be restricted to the people who find themselves closest to the canal. However I believe it ought to be long-term profit to them,” he stated.

Rein additionally stated the canal might have an effect on a joint mission between Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming, known as the Platte River Restoration Implementation Program, which improves and maintains habitat for goal wildlife. However Ricketts stated stream flows could be maintained for this system.

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The Nebraska Division of Pure Assets is conducting a research of the canal mission and is because of report its findings by the tip of the 12 months.

Nebraska Pure Assets Director Tom Riley instructed Agri-Pulse the state envisions at the least two reservoirs within the system with storage of roughly 160,000 acre-feet. He hopes to have the mission able to divert water inside 10 years.

For extra information, go to www.Agri-Pulse.com.



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Nebraska

WATCH LIVE: Coverage of severe weather in southeast Nebraska

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WATCH LIVE: Coverage of severe weather in southeast Nebraska


LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Heavy rain and high winds are blowing through southeast Nebraska late Monday night.

Just after 11 p.m., the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for central Lancaster County, including Lincoln.

The warning goes until 2:45 a.m. The weather service expects the rain to fall at a rate of 1 to 2 inches per hour.

Lancaster County is also under a severe thunderstorm warning until 11:30 p.m.

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Meanwhile, just before 11:30 p.m., a storm capable of producing a tornado was located 3 miles southwest of Crete.

It is moving east at 25 mph.

Parts of Lancaster and Saline counties are under a tornado warning until midnight.





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University of Nebraska Medical Center names interim chancellor

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University of Nebraska Medical Center names interim chancellor


OMAHA, Neb. (WOWT) – Newly-elected University of Nebraska President Jeffery P. Gold has named H. Dele Davies, M.D. as UNMC’s interim chancellor.

Davies will replace Gold, who assumed the role of university system president in March after a decade of serving as UNMC’s chancellor.

“It was important to me to find the right person who can keep our momentum going as we formulate plans for permanent leadership. Dr. Dele Davies is that leader,” Gold said in a press release Monday.

Davies previously served as the senior vice chancellor for academic affairs and dean of graduate studies within the University of Nebraska, where he added new professional degrees and research graduate training programs to the college system.

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“I look forward to continue deepening the relationships within the communities we serve to grow Nebraska’s health care workforce, expand our research breakthroughs and pursue new opportunities for expansion of excellence on all of our five campuses,” Davies said in the release.

Davies also played a key role in launching both the Interprofessional Experiential Center for Enduring Learning (iEXCEL) and the Global Center for Health Security. He also worked to expand UNMC’s rural health initiatives.

“UNMC is on a remarkable trajectory, thanks to the collective efforts of so many individuals on the campus and beyond whose work is transforming the health and quality of life for people in Nebraska and around the world,” Gold said.

The chancellor position is subject to formal approval by the Board of Regents.

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Seven people, including four kids, shot by Nebraska neighbor

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Seven people, including four kids, shot by Nebraska neighbor


Seven people, including four children, have been shot by a neighbor who once told them to “go back to where they came from” and “to speak English,” according to law enforcement.

Police in Crete, Nebraska, outside of Lincoln, responded to a shooting on Friday afternoon. The shooting victims, all of whom are reportedly Hispanic, are expected to survive.

Nebraska State Patrol has said that 74-year-old Billy Booth discharged his firearm at neighbors from inside his home before using the gun to take his own life.

About 15 people were present at the home with most of the victims outside when they were struck by the gunshots.

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Police said that three victims are adults, aged between 22 and 43, and four are kids aged between three and 10. Some have been treated and released from hospital. One person is being treated in Lincoln and two others are being treated in Omaha, according to KETV.

Law enforcement found several victims with gunshot wounds at the scene on Friday, and located the suspect in his home. A shotgun was found close to his body.

Crete Police responded to the shooting of seven people, including four kids
Crete Police responded to the shooting of seven people, including four kids (Screenshot / KETV)

Booth and his neighbors are thought to have had prior disputes but no conflict immediately preceded the shooting, according to police. Previous disputes included arguments over parking and other issues.

Nebraska State Patrol Col John Bolduc said during a press briefing on Saturday that several 911 calls were made about an active shooter situation at about 4.33pm on Friday. As police arrived at the scene, they could hear gunshots. A single gunshot was heard from a home across the street.

It remains unclear who lives at the targeted home and who was visiting.

“It was quickly determined that all gunfire had come from a single residence at 1810 Parkland Street,” Bolduc said, according to NBC News.

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He said that a SWAT team arrived at the scene to detain what they thought was a “barricaded suspect.” Entering the residence at about 6.40pm, they found Booth dead.

“Preliminary investigation shows that all rounds fired by Booth came from inside of his house,” Bolduc said.

“Investigators are still actively working this investigation to understand everything that occurred, but at this point, we don’t believe there was any verbal contact between the suspect and any of the victims in the moments that led up to the shooting.”

Crete police chief Gary Young Jr said on Saturday that since 2021 police have responded to a number of complaints, mostly coming from Booth, regarding “driving behavior.”

“Not necessarily associated with the victims’ house, but cars driving too fast in the neighborhood, improper parking, nuisance properties, quality-of-life type issues,” Young said. “There was a single report from the victims that the suspect had flipped them off, told them to ‘Go home’ or ‘back to where they came from,’ to ‘Speak English.’”

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The family chose not to take the case any further, Young added.

“That resolved the situation, so we had no further contact,” he said, adding that there “could be” a racial element to the shooting.

“Certainly the context of ‘Go home’ and ‘Speak English’ lends itself to that,” Young said. But he added that the motive is still being investigated.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress and isolation, or are struggling to cope, The Samaritans offers support; you can speak to someone for free over the phone, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.

If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). The Helpline is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.

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