Perkins County Canal

Introduction and Background:

The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR), working in conjunction with Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) and a variety water users and water-related interests throughout the Platte River Basin, has been conducting focused water planning efforts since 2004. These water planning efforts consist of Basin-Wide Plans, Integrated Management Plans (plans developed for an individual NRD), and Drought Plans, along with work in conjunction with Nebraska’s interstate compacts, decrees, and agreements. Particular attention is often given to the interstate components during water planning efforts to ensure that Nebraska fulfills its obligations and that our state’s water users receive the full benefits of Nebraska’s water entitlements. One area of focus is to ensure that Nebraska’s full entitlements under the South Platte River Compact (the Compact) are realized and protected for the future of all Nebraskans.

Seasonal South Platte River flows into Nebraska have been trending downwards in recent years. There are several attributable factors in Colorado to the reduction in river flows which may include, but are not limited to: increased irrigation-related well pumping, population growth in the Denver and Front Range region; and changing climate & weather patterns. As a result, demand for water has increased in Colorado to the point that Nebraska’s streamflow entitlements are in jeopardy. A scenario that is highlighted by a large number of Colorado water projects, at various stages of development that are intended to capture additional South Platte River flows.

To further advance Nebraska’s water entitlement protection efforts in the South Platte River Basin, the Legislature passed the Perkins County Canal Project Act in 2022, finding that it is essential to the economic prosperity, health, and welfare of the people of the State of Nebraska, and to the environmental health of the entire Platte River Basin, to protect Nebraska's full entitlement to the flows of the South Platte River as provided for in the Compact. As a result, the NeDNR is authorized with funding allocations of $628-million to develop, construct, manage, and operate the Perkins County Canal and associated water storage facilities, with the primary purpose of fully protecting Nebraska’s non-irrigation season annual flows (October 15^th to April 1^st) and to improve utilization of surplus flows that arise during the irrigation season (April 1^st to October 15^th), as set forth in the Compact.