News Release from
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District
Date: Nov. 2, 2009
Contact: Tim Anderson, Public Relations Manager
Phone: (308) 995-8601
November 2009 Board Meeting Summary
(HOLDREGE, Neb.) -- For the first time in years, The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District's board of directors heard somewhat optimistic projections for the water supply at Lake McConaughy over the coming year.
Cory Steinke, civil engineer in Central's Holdrege headquarters, told the directors at Monday's monthly board meeting that preliminary projections for inflows at Lake McConaughy are the highest since 2001, although they are still below the historic median of 913,000 acre-feet.
Steinke is projecting inflows of about 840,000 acre-feet during the water year, which runs from Oct. 1 to next Sept. 30, and a peak water level next spring near elevation 3,250 feet above mean sea level (1.35 million acre-feet of water). The last time the lake exceeded elevation 3,250 feet was in 2000.
"These projections might be too optimistic," he said, "but that's where the signs are pointing."
Flows in the South Platte River, which have been consistent this fall and will likely receive a boost from recent snowfall in Colorado, are the "wildcard" in the equation, Steinke said. His projections for South Platte flows are lower than the historic average, but much higher than they have been in recent years.
"If the South Platte continues to carry flows near what we've seen recently -- and indications are that there's a good chance of that happening -- we can store all North Platte River flows in Lake McConaughy for most of the winter," he said. He added that current storage conditions at several off-stream reservoirs along the South Platte River in Colorado are a promising indication for continued flows into Nebraska.
Central must meet diversion requirements at the North Platte Diversion Dam that provide for certain flow levels in the Platte River during the winter months, a provision in its Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) license. However, South Platte flows and gains to North Platte River between Lake McConaughy and the diversion dam have been high enough so far to meet the requirements without releases from Lake McConaughy.
There have been no releases from McConaughy for several weeks while Central undertakes a maintenance project at the Kingsley Hydroplant and a channel excavation project in Lake Ogallala below Kingsley Dam. In addition, the Nebraska Public Power District has been working on the headgates of the Keystone Canal, which begins at the east end of Lake Ogallala. The channel-excavation project required that releases from Lake McConaughy be halted for a period of time.
The lake has risen about five feet since the end of irrigation season to an elevation of 3,233.4 feet as of Monday.
Steinke added that there is the possibility of additional water for Lake McConaughy next spring if the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's North Platte River reservoirs in Wyoming are nearing capacity. However, some long-term weather forecasts are calling for warmer and drier conditions in the Rocky Mountains this winter, which would result in reduced snowmelt runoff into the reservoirs.
If South Platte flows fall off and higher North Platte River inflows not materialize next spring, Steinke said, Lake McConaughy would likely peak somewhere near elevation 3,238.0, a volume of about 1.04 million acre-feet.
Also at Monday's meeting:
• The board approved revisions to the District's purchasing procedures, increasing the purchase amounts for budgeted items that can be approved by District managers and raising the requirement under which Central seeks formal bids for construction, maintenance and repair projects.
• Mike Drain, natural resources manager, informed the board that he hopes to have the a final draft of Central's Land and Shoreline Management Plan ready to submit to the FERC by the end of November. Consultations have been held with stakeholders and federal and state agencies and work is under way to finalize the document.