Next year's irrigation planat McConaughy up in air

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HOLDREGE - No matter how much rain or snow falls, the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District may withhold irrigation water for farmers next year.

The district oversees irrigation at the state's largest reservoir, Lake McConaughy, which relies heavily on melting snow from the Rocky Mountains. The lake is nearing record-low levels as the West struggles under a multiyear drought.

Even a heavy snowfall this winter would not help significantly because huge, seriously depleted reservoirs in Wyoming have to fill before water flows down the North Platte River and into Lake McConaughy, said Don Kraus, general manager of the power and irrigation district.

Central's system provides water to 112,000 acres under contract and 110,000 acres served by other districts.

The best immediate help would be summer rains in the area, said Kraus and the district's civil engineering supervisor, Jeremie Kerkman. Rain would reduce irrigation demand and allow more water to be saved in Lake McConaughy this year.

No amount of savings may be enough to stop the lake from surpassing its record-low volume of 385,000 acre-feet set in 1956.

The 2004 spring volume of 565,000 acre-feet was 32 percent of full, and the estimated Oct. 1 volume is 75,000 to 225,000 acre-feet.

Annual inflows have been 450,000 acre-feet each of the past two years, and the 2004-2005 winter inflows are estimated at 325,000 acre-feet.

"We need at least 600,000 to 700,000 acre-feet in inflows for Lake McConaughy to hold its own," Kerkman said.

Irrigation releases this summer could be 150,000 to 300,000 acre-feet. The estimated 2005 irrigation water supply is 100,000 to 275,000 acre-feet.

Among options for next year are withholding or reducing irrigation deliveries, Kerkman said.

Many questions remain, including estimates of the economic impact for agriculture, recreation and hydropower production if no water is released from Lake McConaughy. Water levels would decline at Johnson Lake and Elwood Reservoir, and there would be very little hydropower production - or income from sales to the Nebraska Public Power District - from the Kingsley Dam hydropower plant and three downstream plants, Kraus said.

The board discussed its options Tuesday and decided to talk about the issues again Sept. 7.

More meetings with farmers and others concerned about water would be held before any decision is made, Kerkman said.