Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District
(HOLDREGE, Neb.) - The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District board of directors approved supplemental storage water agreements with five North Platte canal companies at their monthly board meeting on Monday.
The approved agreements are for water from Lake McConaughy that is above their allocation of storage water from Glendo Reservoir. This allows canal companies that want to purchase additional water beyond their allocation from the Glendo reservoir in Wyoming. The cost per acre/foot for the 2024 season was approved at $18.60 reflecting a 20% increase over the prior year.
The maximum supplemental storage water allocations for the five canals include 3,750 acre/feet (af) for the Platte Valley canal company , 2,500 (af) at Paxton-Hershey, 2,500 (af) at Keith-Lincoln , 1,900 (af) for Suburban and 750 (af) for the Lisco canal.
Also at Monday’s board meeting:
• The directors approved the purchase of a 2025 Wester Star Dump Truck with a Bibeau Dump Box for $178,668 from Nebraska Truck Center, Inc., of North Platte, Neb.
• Directors approved final payment to Tri-Cities Roofing and Sheet Metal of Grand Island, Neb., for completion of replacing the roofs at the Jeffrey, J-1 and J-2 hydroplants.
• The board approved the purchase of 6.7 acres in Lincoln County near Jeffrey Reservoir for the price of $25,125. The purchased land allows Central to secure the shoreline near the reservoir and help the District in the ongoing effort to correct its FERC boundary.
• It was voted on by the board to offer 7-9 potential waterfowl hunting leases near Jeffrey Island. A lottery drawing will be held for the 5-year hunting leases at an annual fee of $2,500/year plus tax.
• Civil Engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3240.7 feet on Monday (63.3% capacity). Inflows are around 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) and outflows are about 1,250 cfs which is higher as a result of Environmental Account (EA) releases of 950 cfs by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. He added that EA releases will ramp down beginning on April 4 and shut off on April 9. Snowpack in the upper North Platte Basin is currently at 105% of median average with the lower North Platte at 79% and the South Platte basin is at 109% of median.
• Thulin also reported a hydrocycling period begins this week at the Johnson No. 2 hydroplant so the water elevation at Johnson Lake will fluctuate 1-2 feet around one to two times a week until the end of Apri