Creation of water task force advanced

Lawmakers amended and advanced a bill from select file April 29 that would create a task force concerning the long-term sustainability of state water resources.

LB517, as originally introduced by Holdrege Sen. Tom Carlson, would create a 15-member task force to work on the state’s water issues. Carlson said the need for a long-term strategic plan is vital to the state’s future.

“Twenty years ago there was no need to [worry] about controlling, managing or regulating water in Nebraska,” he said. “We thought we had an unlimited supply of water. Now we know better.”

The Water Funding Task Force would comprise the Nebraska Natural Resources Commission, the director of Natural Resources, the chairperson of the Natural Resources Committee and 10 additional members to be appointed by the governor.

A Carlson amendment, adopted 38-0, replaced the bill.

The amended bill would allocate $1 million for research, data collection and production of a final report, which the task force would submit to the Legislature by December 31. The report would identify water resources programs, projects and activities in need of funding to meet the long-term statewide goals of water sustainability, efficiency and productivity including:
• research, data and modeling needed to assist the state in meeting its water management goals;
• rehabilitation or restoration of existing and new water supply infrastructure;
• conjunctive management, storage and integrated management of ground and surface water; and
• compliance with interstate compacts or agreements.

Of the 10 members appointed to the task force by the governor, one member would be chosen from a public power and irrigation district under the amended bill. Omaha Sen. Burke Harr introduced an amendment that would have removed that designation and replaced it with an appointment from the metropolitan utilities district.

Harr said the utilities district serving the Omaha metropolitan area must be included in any statewide study of water usage.

“We need to make sure water policy is advantageous to everyone and that the metropolitan utilities district is at the table,” Harr said. “For us not to have the largest single supplier of our population included is a mistake.”

Carlson stressed the importance of having the representation of the public power and irrigation districts on the task force. Harr ultimately withdrew the amendment.

Omaha Sen. Heath Mello brought an amendment proposing the addition of a representative from both the metropolitan utilities district and the public power and irrigation district, increasing the total appointed members to 11.

Mello agreed with Harr about the importance of Omaha being adequately represented on the task force.

“The reality is that the metropolitan utilities district is the largest water user in the state of Nebraska,” Mello said. “For us not to consider the largest water infrastructure in the state as part of a grander water study [would be] a disservice to the entire state.”

Senators adopted the amendment 33-0 and advanced the bill to final reading on a voice vote.