§ 46-289 — Legislative findings; interbasin transfers; application for water; factors considered; order issued

Nebraska § 46-289

• Jurisdiction: Nebraska
• Ch. 46: Irrigation and Regulation of Water

Text

The Legislature finds, recognizes, and declares that the transfer of water to outside the boundaries of a river basin may have impacts on the water and other resources in the basin and that such impacts differ from those caused by uses of water within the same basin in part because any unused water will not be returned to the stream from which it is taken for further use in that river basin. The Legislature therefor recognizes the need to delineate factors for consideration by the Chief Water Officer of the Department of Water, Energy, and Environment when evaluating an application made pursuant to section 46-233 which involves an interbasin transfer of water in order to determine whether denial of such application is demanded by the public interest. Those considerations shall include, but not be limited to, the following factors:
(1) The economic, environmental, and other benefits of the proposed interbasin transfer and use;
(2) Any adverse impacts of the proposed interbasin transfer and use;
(3) Any current beneficial uses being made of the unappropriated water in the basin of origin;
(4) Any reasonably foreseeable future beneficial uses of the water in the basin of origin;
(5) The economic, environmental, and other benefits of leaving the water in the basin of origin for current or future beneficial uses;
(6) Alternative sources of water supply available to the applicant; and
(7) Alternative sources of water available to the basin of origin for future beneficial uses.
The application shall be deemed in the public interest if the overall benefits to the state and the applicant's basin are greater than or equal to the adverse impacts to the state and the basin of origin. The Chief Water Officer's order granting or denying an application shall specify the reasons for such action, including a discussion of the required factors for consideration, and shall document such decision by reference to the hearing record, if any, and to any other sources used by the Chief Water Officer in making the decision.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1981, LB 252, § 6; Laws 1986, LB 309, § 2; Laws 2000, LB 900, § 130; Laws 2025, LB317, § 109. Operative Date: July 1, 2025 Annotations: An entity wanting to challenge an application for a surface water appropriation that also requests an interbasin transfer must meet the common-law standard of standing. In re Application A-19594, 315 Neb. 311, 995 N.W.2d 655 (2023). The provisions of this section are not applicable to instream flow applications. Central Platte NRD v. State of Wyoming, 245 Neb. 439, 513 N.W.2d 847 (1994). This statute establishes a procedure to be followed in determining whether an appropriation application must be denied. Little Blue N.R.D. v. Lower Platte North N.R.D., 210 Neb. 862, 317 N.W.2d 726 (1982).