Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
The SPNRD set its new irrigation allocations, as pictured in the above graphic.
At the Oct. 13, 2015 South Platte NRD board meeting the board took action to set the new irrigation allocations for the next three-year allocation period set to begin in 2016 and run through 2018.
The irrigation allocations, part of the Districtwide Ground Water Management Area Rules and Regulations, were previously discussed and ground water information was given at three Ground Water Advisory Committee Meetings, one in each county in the District, and at a public hearing held in Sidney at the Cheyenne County Fairgrounds on Sept. 15, 2015. The Districts newsletter, the Pipeline also had information as well as continual updates and a short presentation on the Western Water Use Management Model on the website and Facebook page. Written testimony was accepted until Oct. 2, 2015 and all the testimony was presented to the board members to help in making their decisions for setting the allocations.
In six separate votes, one for each subarea in the district, the board set the next irrigation allocations for the Amended and Restated Districtwide Ground Water Management Rules and Regulations as follows (listed as three year totals in acre-inches), Subarea A – 42, Subarea B – 42, Subarea C – 42, Subarea D – 48, Subarea E – 48, Subarea F – 39.
Along with setting the irrigation allocations the board also set the carryforward and carryforward cap at 10 acre-inches each. The carryforward is the amount of unused acre-inches that can be carried forward to subsequent allocation periods and the carryforward cap which is the total amount of carryforward that may be accumulated over multiple allocation periods and used in subsequent allocation periods.
Another amendment to the rules and regulations states that the use of surface water will not count against the total amount of allocation.
With the approval and adoption of the Amended and Restated Districtwide Ground Water Management Rules and Regulations they will become effective on Nov. 13, 2015. Anyone wanting to review copies of the Amended and Restated Rules can stop by the South Platte NRD during normal business hours at 551 Parkland Drive in Sidney. Copies are available to view on the District website at http://www.spnrd.com.