Nebraska Wants To Build Canals In Colorado To Claim Water

The governor of Nebraska has announced a $500 million plan to capture water from Colorado under a decades-old deal, FOX 31 reports.

Gov. Pete Ricketts is evoking a 99-year-old compact between the two states that allows Nebraska to claim access to any Colorado land along the South Platte River and build canals, according to Associated Press reporters.

According to a report released by Colorado this month, the population living within the South Platte River basin is projected to grow 42% to 70% between 2015 and 2050. Officials believe this will leave to more demand for water, and the same report noted 282 new projects in the river basin on Colorado land.

Ricketts takes issue with these projects, claiming that the plans could reduce water flows into his state by as much as 90%.

"We are very concerned about what is going to happen with these projects," the Nebraska governor said during a news conference. The reduced streamflows "are going to have a dramatic impact on our ability to feed the world."

The South Platts River Compact is a water-sharing agreement approved in 1923 between Colorado and Nebraska. Under the pact, Nebraska is entitled to "120 cubic feet per second (897.6 gallons) from the river during the irrigation season between April 1 and Oct. 15, and 500 cubic feet per second (3,740 gallons) during the non-irrigation season," reporters explained.

A spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Jared Polis' says he's reviewing the matter, per AP.

"The governor just learned of this situation this morning and we are working to understand it more thoroughly at this time including a legal and operational analysis," press secretary Conor Cahill says. "Gov. Polis continues to oppose the diversion of precious water resources from Colorado."

You can read more about the situation here.