LINCOLN- Nebraska could "lose up to 90 percent" of the water from the South Platte River before it would flow into the state from Colorado if it does not act swiftly to exercise its rights to secure its share of the water, the Legislature's Appropriations Committee was told Tuesday.

Tom Riley, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, spoke in support of a comprehensive pandemic recovery bill (LB1014) that would begin to funnel $500 million of federal pandemic funding into the construction of a canal and reservoir system to secure Nebraska's share of the water.

Colorado is "spending 20 times what we're asking" on water projects and may "look to be potentially accelerating construction now" in reaction to Gov. Pete Ricketts' proposal to build a Perkins County canal along with reservoirs, Riley said.

"Colorado is pursuing water that Nebraska is entitled to use," he said.

Under terms of the 1923 compact, Nebraska can build, maintain and operate canals within Colorado's border that divert water from the South Platte River for use by Nebraska.

Ricketts announced his plan to exercise Nebraska's rights to share water between the states when he unveiled his 2022 budget recommendations to the Legislature.

The committee heard testimony on LB1014, a bill introduced by Speaker Mike Hilgers of Lincoln on behalf of the governor, that would allocate a billion dollars of federal pandemic funding that will be delivered to the state in two segments.

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