Niobrara River Project Partners Take Major Step to Protect River Basin

Kearney -- The Niobrara River Basin Alliance (NRBA), the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC), and the Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) took a significant step forward today towards protecting the Niobrara River Basin, water flows and all users of the river now and in the future.

The three partnering groups celebrated this accomplishment while attending the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts’ (NARD) Annual Meeting in Kearney.

Each entity signed a purchase agreement for the eventual transfer of the assets and water rights associated with the Spencer Hydro-electric Generating Facility near Spencer, Neb., from NPPD to the NRBA and NGPC, on or before Jan. 31, 2021, when all conditions of the purchase agreement are met. This agreement is part of a series of steps that started with a memorandum of understanding entered into by the parties in September 2015.

The agreement will assist in providing protection for all users of the river including wildlife, recreation and agriculture. It will help keep water in the river for fish and wildlife, including endangered species, and will also protect recreation use such as canoeing, tubing and kayaking, along with irrigation for agricultural users.

“LB 1038 was a significant change in Nebraska water law that will be key in protecting the Niobrara River Basin,” said NRBA Secretary Marty Graff. “The legislation ensures the Spencer water rights retained the seniority needed for instream flows and water user protection.”