Nebraska
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Nebraska
How to watch #7 Nebraska vs. #18 Michigan wrestling: Time, TV channel, FREE live streams
The 7th-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers hit the road for Ann Arbor and a nationally televised Friday night dual with the No. 18 Michigan Wolverines. The match is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET with TV coverage on BTN and streaming on-demand.
- How to watch: Live streams of the Nebraska vs. Michigan match are available with offers from FuboTV (free trial), SlingTV (low intro rate) and DirecTV Stream (free trial).
#7 Nebraska Cornhuskers (6-2) at #18 Michigan Wolverines (4-2)
NCAA wrestling match at a glance
When: Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. ET
Where: Crisler Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
TV channel: BTN
Live streams: FuboTV (free trial) | SlingTV (low intro rate) | DirecTV Stream (free trial)
Nebraska comes off a 31-7 home loss to No. 1 Penn State that also showed the Cornhuskers in a positive light with scrappy performances up and down their lineup, highlighted by a major decision win by Ridge Lovett over Shayne Van Ness at 149 pounds. Nebraska now wrestles three of its next four matches on the road, beginning with Friday’s dual with Michigan, followed by a Sunday match at Michigan State and a trip to No. 2 Iowa on Feb. 7.
Michigan is 4-2 with losses in two of its past three duals to Maryland (19-18) and most recently to No. 8 Minnesota (25-10). The Wolverines are on a run of wrestling five straight ranked teams, highlighted by the Nebraska match and a Feb. 7 date with No. 1 Penn State in State College.
Nebraska Cornhuskers vs. Michigan Wolverines: Know your live streaming options
- FuboTV (free trial) – excellent viewer experience with a huge library of live sports content; free trial lengths vary.
- SlingTV (low intro rate) – discounted first month is best if you’ve run out of free trials or you’re in the market for 1+ month of TV
- DirecTV Stream (free trial) – not the same level of viewer experience as FuboTV, but the 7-day free trial is still the longest in streaming.
The Huskers and Wolverines are set for a 6 p.m. ET start on BTN. Live streams are available from FuboTV (free trial), DirecTV Stream (free trial) and SlingTV (low intro rate).
Nebraska
Nebraska can provide a roadmap for U.S. energy and tech leadership • Nebraska Examiner
When President Trump unveiled his new Domestic Energy Council in November, he noted that, “with U.S. energy dominance, we will drive down Inflation, win the A.I. arms race with China (and others), and expand American diplomatic power.” To get a glimpse of how this would work in practice, look no further than Nebraska.
Few states have successfully achieved the all-of-the-above energy mix that Nebraskans enjoy today. The Cornhusker State’s balanced, diverse energy portfolio and publicly owned power utilities have yielded tremendous results for Nebraska residents, and we consistently rank near the top of all states in grid reliability and lowest-cost electricity rates. Lowering these energy costs has helped combat the inflation that has eroded so many Americans’ standard of living over the past several years.
Smart energy policy is not only a boon for residential consumers but also bolsters our industrial strength. Industrial customers account for most of Nebraska’s energy consumption, so maintaining low energy prices translates into a competitive edge for our state’s farmers and ranchers, meatpackers, truckers and manufacturers. President Trump has made rebuilding American industrial might a centerpiece of his administration, and Nebraska has shown what strategic energy and infrastructure development can do to attract jobs and investment.
The race with China on AI
A similar lesson can be applied to the AI race with China that President Trump has made clear he intends to win. Energy dominance and tech leadership have become increasingly intertwined, and it is not a coincidence that Nebraska’s high marks in energy and grid reliability have corresponded with a growth in our state’s tech workforce and data center construction.
Tech jobs across our state numbered approximately 37,000 in 2022, an eight percent year-over-year increase, according to a study from the University of Nebraska prepared for the Nebraska Tech Collaborative. The same study found that this industry had a $20 billion annual economic footprint in Nebraska.
Data centers are key to this booming innovation economy, and they represent the backbone of the AI and cloud capabilities being harnessed by Nebraska businesses, academic institutions and government agencies. Mom and pop retailers use these tools to punch above their weight in the marketplace, and recently local hospitals have started incorporating AI in their daily operations both to streamline administrative tasks like charting and to improve patient care, as it helps address nursing shortages by re-assessing appropriate staffing ratios. Companies, including Union Pacific, use AI tools to optimize operations and work with customers to help predict shipping patterns and better align service with needs.
Role of higher learning
Local universities are leveraging AI’s growth in Nebraska and offer new courses to ensure that we are attracting and cultivating the skilled workforce we need to sharpen U.S. tech competitiveness and win the AI arms race. In fact, the University of Nebraska at Omaha is leading the charge with the state’s first AI-focused bachelor’s degree.
With a 74 percent surge in demand for AI specialists over the past five years, our academic institutions recognize the need to close the skills gap and cultivate home-grown talent to help drive the innovation economy forward. U.S. Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., said it well during a data center announcement in Lincoln: “The importance of innovation in national security and AI between the public and private sectors cannot be understated, and we’re working on that right here in Nebraska.”
Nebraska’s position as an energy and tech leader can offer the new administration a battle-tested roadmap for how to fuel innovation and attract investment through smart, pragmatic policies. The best thing we can do as a state is keep our foot on the accelerator and continue to lead by example.
Brett Lindstrom is an executive and advisor in financial services and charitable giving and served in the Nebraska Legislature from 2015-2023, including as chair of the Banking, Insurance and Commerce committee. The Republican ran for governor in 2022.
Nebraska
Nebraska’s Ridge Lovett tabbed Big Ten Wrestler of the Week
LINCOLN, Neb. (Huskers.com) – For the second time this season, Husker Ridge Lovett (149) has been named Big Ten Wrestler of the Week. The senior earned the honor after his major decision over Penn State’s No. 2 Shayne Van Ness. With the win, Lovett improved to 11-1 (7-0 dual) on the season, and brings home the fourth weekly conference honor for the Big Red.
Lovett has garnered 30 dual points for the Huskers yet this season, leading the Big Red, by means of two falls, one major decision, one tech. fall and three decisions in duals. The senior has won three of his four top-10 bouts this season, his only loss to No. 1 Caleb Henson in the Cliff Keen Final. Following the Huskers win over Van Ness, Lovett also rose to No. 2 in the national InterMat rankings.
The last Husker to be honored twice in a season with the Big Ten weekly award was Mikey Labriola in 2021-22. The last time three Big Red wrestlers were honored in weekly awards from the conference was in the 2018-19 season. In no season on record have the Huskers received weekly honors in more than three weeks, making Lovett and the 2024-25 season the first.
Up next, Lovett and the Huskers head to Michigan for a double-dual weekend. NU will start at No. 18 Michigan in Ann Arbor on Friday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m. (CT), which will be televised on BTN. On Sunday, Jan. 26, the Big Red take on Michigan State at noon and will be streamed on B1G+.
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