(HOLDREGE, Neb.) – The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors approved an updated policy for the pumping of excess water at their monthly meeting held Monday (April 7) in Holdrege.
Irrigation and Water Services manager Scott Dicke provided a summary of the previous policy that was adopted by the board on May 7, 1990. That policy charged users $100 to pump excess water into the District’s canal system.
The new policy adopted by the board at Monday’s meeting updates the fee structure, permit application process along with the permit terms and conditions. The new annual fees per pump site will be $250 for Central customers and $1,000 for non-customers. Additionally, permit holders will be required to receive permission from the Holdrege office prior to each pumping activity.
Applicants interested in requesting permission to pump water from their property into the canal system must come into the District office for an application and pay the applicable fee prior to pumping.
Also at Monday’s board meeting:
• Directors approved the inclusion of 69 accounts totaling 1,129 acres in the 2025 Water Leasing Program. Irrigation customers who submit acres for the program agree not to irrigate acres in exchange for payment of $160/acre from the Platte River Recovery and Implementation Program (PRIPP). Instead, that leased water is added to the PRIPP’s Environmental Account in Lake McConaughy and is managed and released by the United State Fish and Wildlife Service to benefit wildlife habitat along the Platte River.
• Scott Dicke told the board that Elwood Reservoir started filling on April 1 and the Phelps Canal will begin filling later this month following the completion of maintenance activities.
• Hydraulic Project Operations Manager Cory Steinke reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3239.0 feet on Monday (61%). Inflows are around 850 cubic feet per second (cfs) and outflows are about 450 cfs.
