Other Legislation
State Resources
The Colorado Division of Water Resources has a variety of information for people interested in the Republican River Basin. They have rules and regulations, landowner alternatives, Compact information, CREP and EQIP information, and minutes from meetings regarding the basin.
The Kansas Department of Agriculture has information ranging from the background of the basin, fact sheets, current Compact news, to streamflow rates. There are also links to other important entities including the Bureau of Reclamation.
The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources includes compact tables, fully appropriated area maps, notices, NRD Districts information, and settlement documents available for review. LB 962 was passed in Nebraska in 2004. It amended the Nebraska Groundwater Management and Protection Act and includes proactive approaches to the states management of ground and surface water use.
All three of the agencies above are main points of contact for specific items related to the Republican River Basin and can be useful in understanding the legal portions of the compact as well as the different states actions concerning the Basin.
The Republican River Basin Water Sustainability Task Force was created by the enactment of
Legislative Bill 1057 (2010). Its purpose is “to define water sustainability for the Republican River basin, develop and recommend a plan to help reach water sustainability in the basin, and develop and recommend a plan to help avoid a water-short year in the basin.” The task force is also charged with making a preliminary report to the Governor and the Legislature by May 15, 2011, and a final report by
May 15, 2012. Click here for a 'Time Line'.
Task Force Facilitation
The task force is operating with facilitators from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (Alan Tomkins- UNL Public Policy Center, Nicole Wall-National Drought Mitigation Center, & Anthony Schutz-UNL College of Law).
Defining Sustainability
The current working definition of water sustainability is framed as a statement of what management for water sustainability would do. The terms it uses are a result of a series of normative choices about present use, future use, and the relationship between the two:
“Management for water sustainability allows use for a beneficial purpose, in an effective and efficient manner, to satisfy our socio-economic needs and obligations while minimizing the risk to water resources for future generations while recognizing their socio-economic needs and obligations.”
Please visit http://www.dnr.state.ne.us/LB1057/ the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources website for more information.
Local Resorces
The Republican River Water Conservation District (RRWCD) is an independent entity that is entirely self-governed. The District was created in 2004 by the Colorado State Legislature to assure local involvement in the state’s efforts to comply with the Republican River Compact.
The Northwest Kansas Groundwater Management District 4's purpose is to oversee proper conservation and management of the ground water resources. They also provide local land owners and water users with the opportunity to be involved in the process by establishing their own regulations regarding resources. The district also works with other local, state, and federal agencies.
The Upper Republican, Middle Republican, Lower Republican, and Tri-Basin Natural Resource Districts in Nebraska contain specific information for each of the areas that they cover.
The Republican River Riparian and Restoration Partners (RRRRP), led by seven Resource Conservation and Development Programs (RC&Ds), has been created to help provide leadership in the planning and coordination of sound conservation practices and to bring federal, state, and local entities together to implement a viable living Republican River Basin by 2037. Active members from Colorado, Kansas, and Nebraska are a part of this partnership.
Other Resources
The National Association of State Departments of Agriculture Research Foundation lists the federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations affecting each states agricultural production. This site can be useful to see what regulations each state follows to comply with its legislation.