LPSNRD and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR) have taken a proactive, comprehensive approach to sustaining the future water needs in the District through adoption of a voluntary Integrated Management Plan (IMP). Two other studies preceded development of the plan; a Water Balance Study of the District and Water for the Future: Stakeholder Perspectives. These documents are available in the attachments below.
Some Integrated Management Plans in Nebraska focus on management of the hydrologically-connected ground and surface waters, however, the Lower Platte South plan is focused on integrating the management of all of the water supplies and uses within the entire district. Agriculture irrigation is an important water use in those areas of the district where sufficient ground water is available but is not expected to expand significantly in the near future. With a growing urban and suburban population, domestic and commercial water uses will be both critical and challenging to satisfy.
The three goals in the Integrated Management Plan are to achieve a sustainable water supply, to manage the supply and make it available whenever and wherever needed, and to support water use and conservation that optimizes benefits. With limited surface water sources, highly erodible ground water supplies and the geographic reality of the downstream location in the river basin, the IMP includes the anticipated need to look outside District boundaries to collaborate and cooperate on future water supply expansion.
The Integrated Management Plan requires an annual report of activity over the last year related to IMP goals and objectives. It also requires an annual review by LPSNRD and NeDNR of the entire plan to be held as a public meeting, where public comment on the plan is encouraged. The latest annual meeting presentation and annual report of our Integrated Management Plan are provided below.
