LINCOLN - State officials, including Gov. Ricketts, have framed the canal as an urgent matter, crucial to protecting Nebraska’s water resources, and, in turn, protecting its economy as Colorado’s Front Range attracts more and more residents.

The project has support from agriculture groups, natural resources districts, the Nebraska Public Power District, and others.Questions over the bill include how and if it would truly affect drinking water in Lincoln and Omaha; whether Nebraska could actually exercise eminent domain in Colorado; how much the project would ultimately cost; and just how long the state could potentially spend in court fighting over it.

While LB 1015 doesn’t include funding, Ricketts proposed paying for it with a $400 million transfer from the state’s cash reserve fund and $100 million in federal COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan Act. The Appropriations Committee voted unanimously on Friday to allocate a much lower sum — $22.5 million — from the cash reserve.

“I think it’s important we do something to let Colorado know we’re coming,” Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard said. But Erdman, whose district would potentially be affected by the project, also said he wasn’t “overly enthused” about setting aside $500 million.

Sen. John Stinner, chair of Appropriations, has said he can't support earmarking a half-billion dollars in state funds to a project before a study has been done to determine whether it's feasible. Gov. Ricketts, however, has doubled down in his assessment of the canal, saying "Delay only benefits Colorado."

Tom Riley, the director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, echoed Gov. Ricketts comments and said any delay would just allow Colorado to move forward with more projects that consume Nebraska's allocation.Riley and Ricketts have both claimed the canal, which would begin in northeast Colorado, is the only way Nebraska can claim water from the South Platte. A spokesperson for Colorado Gov. Polis rebuked these statements, saying, "It is increasingly clear that this is an offensive, not defensive, effort by Governor Ricketts to go after Colorado’s rightful water resources, and take the private land of hard-working farmers and ranchers."

For the full article click HERE