Water Conflicts in the Republican

River Basin

A short water resources story

Republican River Basin

 The basin encompasses

~ 24,900 square miles
and is part of the
Ogallala aquifer.
 Named for a branch of
the Pawnee Indians,
“the Republicans”

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 Republican River Basin

The Republican River Compact 1943

- Allocate surface waters among the
states

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Discharge Hydrograph
surface runoff

‘baseflow’

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 Republican River Basin

Estimated Baseflow - North Fork of Republican River at the

Colo-Neb Stateline (6823000)
70,000
Total
60,000
Baseflow
Annual Flow (ac-ft)

50,000

# wells
40,000
NE
30,000

20,000

10,000

0
KA
CO
1940

1945

1950

1955

1960

1965

1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

Water Year

Year 5
 Surface Water and
Groundwater are
connected
hydrologically!

Are they connected

legally??

Irrigation pumping affects

streamflow; impact
depends on distance from
stream
CEE 457 - Topic VII © 2018 Albert J. Valocchi, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. All rights reserved. 6
Irrigation Pumping Wells in Nebraska

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Republican River Basin – Pumping for Irrigation
Affects Streamflow

Near USGS station Arikaree

River at Haigler, 07/18/2012.
Source: USGS.

Looking downstream, 08/21/2012.

Source: USGS.
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Source: http://ensia.com/features/groundwater-wake-
up/
 Litigation and Settlement

 May 1998: Kansas filed complaint with US

Supreme Court alleging Nebraska violated the
Compact “by allowing the proliferation and use of
thousands of wells hydraulically connected to the
Republican River and its tributaries…”
 Nov 1999: Court referred matter to a “Special
master” who concluded that Nebraska was in
violation.
 SW & GW are legally connected!!
 Oct. 2001: Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado began
settlement discussions
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 Republican River Basin GW Model

 Agreement required development of a GW Model

 Purpose: “determine the amount, location, and timing of
streamflow depletions to the Republican River caused by well
pumping and to determine streamflow accretions from
recharge of water imported from the Platte River Basin into
the Republican River Basin ….”
 Model was “…constructed and calibrated in a collaborative
exercise by technical experts from all three States…”
 More than 20 experts worked for approx one year.
 Model used to assess the impact of each state’s
pumping on streamflow at specified stream locations
 Model used as part of a process to restrict irrigation
pumping to keep Nebraska in compliance with
Compact 12
 Recent History

 During a dry spell in 2005-2006, Nebraska overused its

allotted share of the river and Kansas water users were
harmed. In 2010, Kansas filed a lawsuit against Nebraska
in the U.S. Supreme Court. In 2015, the court ruled
Nebraska violated the compact and required them to pay
Kansas $5.5 million in damages and to take additional
actions.
 After the Kansas lawsuit, Nebraska took steps to achieve
compliance, including developing two augmentation
projects to enhance flows in the river to offset overuse.
 Conflicts continue…Aug 2018: Colorado pays Kansas $4
million to settle a Republican River Compact dispute.

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Example Augmentation Project– Do Politics and Water Mix?

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Some Recent Developments – Do Politics and Water Mix?

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 Sources of Information

 The Republican River Compact Administration

http://www.republicanrivercompact.org/

 “Republican River Compact Has Long History of

Disagreement, Court Battles”
https://www.dtnpf.com/agriculture/web/ag/news/business-
inputs/article/2018/08/06/republican-river-compact-long-court

 N-CORPE https://www.ncorpe.org/about
 “Summary of Republican River Compact Litigation
Settlement” http://www.dnr.ne.gov

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