Water issues in Nebraska pale in comparison to California
This is the Third in a series of stories reporting on the water conference held in Imperial on March 27.
By Russ Pankonin
Johnson Publications
While Nebraska faces water issues in the Republican and Platte River Basins, they look minor compared to issues in California.
That’s the message University of Nebraska Professor Nick Brozovic´ brought to the Upper Republican Natural Resources District second annual water conference in Imperial, March 27.
Brozovic´ serves as the Director of Policy at the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.
At 8.5 million acres, Nebraska irrigates the largest number of acres of any state in the U.S., including California. Although California isn’t far behind with 8 million acres.
Local control of groundwater through Nebraska’s NRDs is unique—not only in the U.S. but in the world, Brozovic´ said.
With such a large state, California suffers from a mismatch between supply and demand with most of the rain falling in the north and eastern areas of the state.
Add to that complex water rights and laws, large urban areas and endangered species and the water policy issues only get worse.
Brozovic´ chuckled about a recent tweet from waterfoundation.org: “Let’s take lessons from CA & apply them to the West.”
“Let’s not do that!!!” he exclaimed.