1.26.06
Irrigator fee plan pushed again
by Martha Stoddard, Omaha World-HeraldA Lincoln lawmaker is trying to revive his proposal for making irrigators pay for managing the state's water resources.
State Sen. Chris Beutler filed a motion Wednesday to bring Legislative Bill 930 out of committee for debate by the full Legislature.
The bill would establish annual fees on irrigated land and municipal water systems. Each would pay a total proportionate to their water use.
At $2 per acre and $1 per city resident, the fees would raise about $17.3 million. The money would go to a Water Conservation Cash Fund and be used for managing groundwater and surface water in the state.
Beutler's attempt to revive the bill requires 30 votes, a tough standard because the Natural Resources Committee has already killed the bill.
Committee members voted 7-0 to drop the bill shortly after its public hearing last week.
Beutler vowed to be persistent in bringing up water issues during this legislative session.
He said he will push those inside and outside the Legislature to address the state's obligations under a compact with Kansas over water in the Republican River basin. One study has suggested that the state could owe Kansas $15 million in damages.
Earlier Wednesday, Beutler withdrew an amendment that would have given the state authority to regulate pumping from wells drilled in the Republican basin after Jan. 1, 2001.
Anyone who put in a well after that date should have been aware that they were doing so at their own risk, he said. State law also allows natural resources districts to impose different regulations on wells dug after that date.
Sen. Ed Schrock of Elm Creek argued against Beutler's amendment, saying NRDs that took no action to curb pumping are paying the price now. Water allocations in the Lower Republican NRD are the lowest in the state, he said.
Cutting off all irrigation in that area would harm the economy and reduce tax dollars to local governments. It also would not get water flowing into the Republican River quickly enough to satisfy Kansas, he said.
"Without water, that part of our state shrivels up and blows away," Schrock said. "My policy on water the rest of this session is going to be, let's do the least amount of economic damage possible."
Schrock has proposed creating a water management program to help pay for the work required of NRDs under the Nebraska Ground Water Management and Protection Act.
The proposal has been advanced by the Natural Resources Committee as an amendment to Legislative Bill 933, which makes several technical changes to state water law.
Schrock also has introduced bills that would allow NRDs to levy another 3 cents of property tax per $100 of assessed valuation and appropriate $10 million of state general funds. Both bills would direct the money for use in water management.