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Lack of rain amplified by water issuesBy Jennifer Bremer While drought has hit several parts of the Midwest, High Plains and southern United States, farmers in the Republican River Basin in south central Nebraska face a different challenge. "We've not only been behind on rainfall for the past four or five years, but we're also losing the irrigation water we have depended on for many years," says Furnas County, Neb., cattle producer J.D. Anderson. Producers in the Republican River area are being forced to change irrigated land into dryland in order to comply with a 1943 agreement made with Kansas to supply them with water from the river. In 1943 the states of Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska entered into the Republican River Compact with the approval of Congress. The Compact provides for the equitable apportionment of the "virgin water supply" of the Republican River Basin. According to the Integrated Management Plan developed by the Department of Natural Resources and the Lower Republican Natural Resources District, Kansas filed action against Nebraska and Colorado with the United States Supreme Court in 1998. The dispute was about Nebraska's consumptive use of the water within the Basin. After several months of negotiation, all three states entered into a comprehensive Settlement Agreement. In 2002, the agreement was approved by all three states and now must be fulfilled. "If this agreement isn't fulfilled by 2008, a $23 million fine will be set on this area," says Anderson "We are turning five pivots, which equals about 650 acres, into dry land." He has also applied for Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) funds to help compensate for the drastic change in land usage. The Natural Resources Conservation Service, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and the Upper, Middle, Lower Republican and Tri-basin Natural Resources Districts are offering about $1.7 million to irrigation farmers to reduce water usage. Anderson says they have been very dependent on the irrigation water and because of the change, he decided to sell about 200 cows from his spring-calving herd. "With the change from irrigated land to dryland, a half a section will go from supporting 400 cows to supporting 40 cows," he explains. "We are far enough behind on our dry land due to the drought, but this change will really affect our operation." Anderson says a dry May and June made a distinct impact on their dryland. Even though they have received more rainfall in July and August, it was too late to compensate for the lack of moisture they were already experiencing. Dryland corn in his area was harvested for silage in early August. With no subsoil moisture for the past few years, the crop didn't amount to much. The first of July, Anderson decided to early wean his calves in order to lighten the load on his cows. He says that it has been good for both the cows and the calves as they are easier to manage nutritionally since the pastures were so far behind. Nebraska Farm Service Agency executive director Brian Wolford says that the drought conditions spread all throughout the state. "Lack of rainfall, along with hot temperature has taken its toll on producers all across the state," he says. "Emergency haying and grazing of Conservation Reserve Program land is one way FSA can provide immediate benefits for livestock producers." As of Aug. 7, 51 of Nebraska's 93 counties have been approved for emergency haying and grazing in all or part of the county. Wolford says they continue to see more applications daily from counties requesting the release of their CRP acres. Wildfires have also been a concern in the northwest part of Nebraska. Wolford says that FSA is aware of 65,000 acres of pasture that has been lost due to the fires. An evaluation of livestock loss is still being determined. Dawes and Sioux County FSA committees have requested an Emergency Conservation Program to help rebuild fences lost during the fires. FSA is working with producers to provide emergency loan programs and potential tax benefits for producers who must sell livestock to survive through the drought. "All the programs and incentives help," says Anderson. "But in reality we don't want our wells to run dry or have to sell any more cows. "This drought has really impacted producers from North Dakota to Texas. Hopefully we will see some natural relief soon." Date: 8/16/06
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