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About
This website serves as a resource providing information about the development and implementation of the Republican River Basin-Wide Plan. Information about the plan’s background, stakeholder process, and supporting data and reports can be found here. Additional reports and data regarding the plan’s monitoring and evaluation will be posted to this website throughout the plan’s implementation.
The use, management and stewardship of water throughout the Republican River Basin, has had great influence on the lives, economy and understanding of sustainability for those living in the area. As part of a multi-tiered approach to managing water in the basin, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR) and the Upper Republican, Middle Republican, Lower Republican, and Tri-Basin Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) have developed a basin-wide plan to manage hydrologically connected water resources within the Basin.
Mission and Vision
Statutory Requirements
The Republican River Basin-Wide Plan was developed in response to requirements in Nebraska Revised Statute § 46-755, which requires basin-wide water planning in areas where three or more NRDs within the basin are required to complete Integrated Management Plans (IMPs). Nebraska Revised Statute § 46-755 details the following statutory requirements and procedures for developing and implementing a basin-wide plan. A basin-wide plan must:
(1) Have clear goals and objectives;
(2) Ensure that compliance with any interstate compact or decree, such as the Republican River Compact;
(3) Set forth a timeline to meet the goals and objectives that does not exceed thirty years or April 17, 2044; and
(4) Involve consultation and collaboration with stakeholders that rely on water from the affected area.
Plan Area
The Republican River Basin-Wide Plan examines and makes recommendations for the entire Republican River Basin. Surface water funding and studies may apply specifically to the hydrologically connected area of surface water, and groundwater funding and studies may apply specifically to the hydrologically connected area for groundwater.
Goals and Objectives
The Republican River Basin-Wide Plan includes the following goals and objectives. Within the plan are also action items that outline how each objective will be implemented. The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and the Republican River Basin natural resources districts report progress toward the plan’s goals and objectives in their annual report and at an annual meeting.
| Goal 1: Maintain Nebraska's compliance with the Republican River Compact and applicable state laws | Objective 1.1: Coordinate basin-wide plan management actions with Nebraska's Compact compliance efforts and adherence to applicable state laws |
| Objective 1.2: Understand the effects of management actions for Compact compliance on water supplies for Nebraska's water users | |
| Objective 1.3: Assess progress toward meeting the goals and objectives of the Plan, and share the results of this assessment with the Public and the Nebraska Legislature |
| Goal 2: Maximize Nebraska's efficient and beneficial consumptive use of its portion of the water supply, increase certainty for long-range planning of water supplies to reduce the need for regulatory actions, and increase collaborative efforts among water management entities and stakeholders across the Basin | Objective 2.1: Understand the feasibility and potential impacts of Plan actions and establish a standard procedure for projects |
| Objective 2.2: Improve the efficiency of use, availability, and reliability of water supplie for current irrigators | |
| Objective 2.3: Provide opportunities for collaboration among the Basin's water users | |
| Objective 2.4: Promote conservation programs available to the water users in the Basin | |
| Objective 2.5: Understand how various water management activities of independent decision-makers affect water supplies | |
| Objective 2.6: Evaluate the feasibility and potential outcomes of establishing water markets in the Basin | |
| Objective 2.7: Support the NRDs in management of allocations for irrigation purposes and surface water irrigation districts in management of the allotment of their water supply | |
| Objective 2.8: Conserve water for future use during a drought |
| Goal 3: Positive public relations, including information sharing, within and outside the Basin | Objective 3.1: Improve information sharing with decision-makers and the public about solutions formed within the Basin |
| Objective 3.2: Improve information sharing with water users who are reliant on the Basin's water supplies |
| Goal 4: When possible, pursue projects that not only benefit water supplies and uses, but also create benefits for fish, wildlife, recreation, and conveyance within the Republican River Basin | Objective 4.1: Where feasible and beneficial, protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat and public outdoor recreational opportunities |
| Objective 4.2: Where feasible and beneficial, reduce the effects of undesirable vegetation on water conveyance |
