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Nabity: State's water policy is suicide

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BY DON WALTON / Lincoln Journal Star

Thursday, Mar 09, 2006 - 02:08:34 pm CST

Arguing that Nebraska’s water policy is destroying its economic future, Republican candidate for governor Dave Nabity said Thursday he’d consider dipping into aquifers to increase stream flows.

Diversion of excess water to areas of need ought to be one of the options on the table, Nabity said.

“We’re committing economic suicide” by pursuing policies that take land out of production and blame irrigators for water woes, the Omaha businessman told a State Capitol news conference.

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Nabity

Nebraska is “too willing to reduce water allocations to the point of destroying large portions of our agricultural economy,” he said.

The federal government is “much to blame for the disruption of stream flows” because of federal conservation programs, Nabity said, and should provide compensation in any Nebraska settlement with Kansas for violation of water supply allotments in the Republican River basin.

The settlement is flawed, Nabity said, and “I’m going to ask that the federal government become party to any fines that might be assessed.”

The 1943 Kansas-Nebraska compact allocated 49 percent of annual water supply in the Republican basin to Nebraska, 40 percent to Kansas and 11 percent to Colorado. Nebraska faces a potential penalty of $15 million for violating terms of the agreement with Kansas.

If elected governor, Nabity said, he’d refashion water policy instead of continuing to “screw up our ability to grow our economy.”

Nabity recently returned from a week in the Panhandle and southwest Nebraska where he said water issues are huge.

“Managing Nebraska’s water is going to become the biggest issue in the state,” he said.  “At this time, all of Nebraska is in jeopardy because of poor water policy.”

Nabity said he hopes he’ll have the opportunity raise the water issue in his first debate with his opponents, Gov. Dave Heineman and Rep. Tom Osborne.  The GOP candidates will hold their first of six debates on March 19 at the University of Nebraska at Omaha campus.

State Auditor Kate Witek, who is Osborne’s lieutenant governor running mate, passed Nabity in a Capitol corridor on the way to her office as he was about to begin his news conference on water policy.

“My solution is to bottle it and sell it,” Witek called out as she passed by.

Reach Don Walton at 473-7248 or at dwalton@journalstar.com.


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iagree wrote on March 9, 2006 2:55 pm:
" The person that gets the last drop of water, wins!!! Let's continue to pay subsidies for crops we don't need and irrigate them with water we can't spare. And make the tax payers make up any shortfalls. That's the way to a great economy. "

 Jenn wrote on March 9, 2006 3:21 pm:
" "My solution is to bottle it and sell it." What? "We're committing economic suicide." To both candidates. How about enviromental suicide? Once you tap into the underground aquifer and use that all up, what are you left with? Nothing. Yeah we might be economically prosperous for a little while, but what happens to that underground water that gets used up? You can't put contaminated water back into an underground aquifer. I don't think Nabity or Osborne really have a solution. Porshe man, just stay in Omaha. You clearly don't have a solution for the people of western Nebraska. "

 tim wrote on March 9, 2006 4:12 pm:
" so if kansas gets 40% of zero water. why does nebraska have to pay kansas anything? come on don ask a tough questions of these candidates instead of only printing their rhetoric. "

 Steven Grams wrote on March 9, 2006 4:25 pm:
" In terms of the success that Nebraska has had over the years, I think it is impossible to disagree that at the heart of it all one thing has prospered Nebraska the most. The profound effects of the development of modern and efficient irrigation. Whether you want to accept it or not the true legend of Nebraska is the development of the "Center Pivot". No other has developed so much tax base or income possibilities for Nebraska. Whether Agriculturual or Industrial Development in Nebraska - The Center Pivot is truely a "Legend of Greatness". Where would Nebraska be without it? Our current government leaders that are vying for the Governors Office have a record of introducing & passing policy that seriously damages Nebraska's Agricultural Economy. It is good to see someone in the Governor's race that truly knows how Nebraska works. We need someone to serve as Nebraska's Water Governor, Thank goodness for Nabity! "

 Richard wrote on March 10, 2006 9:15 am:
" Sometime during this century underground water will be so hard to get to that there will not be enough water available for basic things like drinking and bathing. Water levels have already dropped dramatically in many places using the Ogallala Acquifer. All those millions of dollars that have been made by those using these precious underground water supplies will be needed by the descendants of those short sighted people to buy enough water to survive. "

 Joe wrote on March 10, 2006 11:10 pm:
" It might be a nice fantasy to "Dance with The Wolves," turn all of Western Nebraska over to Ted Turner to let the buffalo roam, the deer(not John) and the antelope play, but it has no basis in the reality of the 21st century. Nobody values or understands the need to preserve water more than Nebraska's Farmers. Making them villians for this serious issue facing Nebraska is ridiculous. There is no better stewards of water than the farmers whose survival depends on its supply. Most have had the land passed down to them from fathers and grandfathers. They want to pass it on to their Children and Grandchildren. Sadly, their future is in jeopardy, because leadership from the state has been as shortsighted as the tree hugging henny penny reaction we are reading on the board. That's not to say, farmers haven't made mistakes, but they have made major strides in conservation efforts to more effeciently use and conserve water. Thanks Mr. Nabity for being will to stand by the farmers. As with every other issue, Mr. Nabity is taking the lead with innovative ideas that offer the right solutions for Nebraska. It is time or farmers and small business people across this stay to say enough is enough and elect Mr. Nabity who won't continue to sell you down the river. "

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