Neb. Rev. Stat. § 46-715 — NE Code / Chapter 46 / Section 46-715
View Statute 46-715
Status: in_force

(1)(a) Whenever the Chief Water Officer has designated a river basin, subbasin, or reach as overappropriated or has made a final determination that a river basin, subbasin, or reach is fully appropriated, the natural resources districts encompassing such river basin, subbasin, or reach and the Chief Water Officer shall jointly develop an integrated management plan for such river basin, subbasin, or reach. The plan shall be completed, adopted, and take effect within three years after such designation or final determination unless the Chief Water Officer and the natural resources districts jointly agree to an extension of not more than two additional years.

(b) A natural resources district encompassing a river basin, subbasin, or reach that has not been designated as overappropriated or has not been finally determined to be fully appropriated may, jointly with the Chief Water Officer, develop an integrated management plan for such river basin, subbasin, or reach located within the district. The district shall notify the Chief Water Officer of its intention to develop an integrated management plan which shall be developed and adopted according to sections 46-715 to 46-717 and subsections (1) and (2) of section 46-718 . The objective of an integrated management plan under this subdivision is to manage such river basin, subbasin, or reach to achieve and sustain a balance between water uses and water supplies for the long term. If a district develops an integrated management plan under this subdivision and the Chief Water Officer subsequently determines the affected river basin, subbasin, or reach to be fully appropriated, the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources district may amend the integrated management plan.

(2) In developing an integrated management plan, the effects of existing and potential new water uses on existing surface water appropriators and ground water users shall be considered. An integrated management plan shall include the following: (a) Clear goals and objectives with a purpose of sustaining a balance between water uses and water supplies so that the economic viability, social and environmental health, safety, and welfare of the river basin, subbasin, or reach can be achieved and maintained for both the near term and the long term; (b) a map clearly delineating the geographic area subject to the integrated management plan; (c) one or more of the ground water controls authorized for adoption by natural resources districts pursuant to section 46-739 ; (d) one or more of the surface water controls authorized for adoption by the Chief Water Officer pursuant to section 46-716 ; and (e) a plan to gather and evaluate data, information, and methodologies that could be used to implement sections 46-715 to 46-717 , increase understanding of the surface water and hydrologically connected ground water system, and test the validity of the conclusions and information upon which the integrated management plan is based. The plan may also provide for utilization of any applicable incentive programs authorized by law. Nothing in the integrated management plan for a fully appropriated river basin, subbasin, or reach shall require a natural resources district to regulate ground water uses in place at the time of the Chief Water Officer's preliminary determination that the river basin, subbasin, or reach is fully appropriated, unless such regulation is necessary to carry out the goals and objectives of a basin-wide plan pursuant to section 46-755 , but a natural resources district may voluntarily adopt such regulations. The applicable natural resources district may decide to include all water users within the district boundary in an integrated management plan.

(3) In order to provide a process for economic development opportunities and economic sustainability within a river basin, subbasin, or reach, the integrated management plan shall include clear and transparent procedures to track depletions and gains to streamflows resulting from new, retired, or other changes to uses within the river basin, subbasin, or reach. The procedures shall:

(a) Utilize generally accepted methodologies based on the best available information, data, and science;

(b) Include a generally accepted methodology to be utilized to estimate depletions and gains to streamflows, which methodology includes location, amount, and time regarding gains to streamflows as offsets to new uses;

(c) Identify means to be utilized so that new uses will not have more than a de minimis effect upon existing surface water users or ground water users;

(d) Identify procedures the natural resources district and the Chief Water Officer will use to report, consult, and otherwise share information on new uses, changes in uses, or other activities affecting water use in the river basin, subbasin, or reach;

(e) Identify, to the extent feasible, potential water available to mitigate new uses, including, but not limited to, water rights leases, interference agreements, augmentation projects, conjunctive use management, and use retirement;

(f) Develop, to the extent feasible, an outline of plans after consultation with and an opportunity to provide input from irrigation districts, public power and irrigation districts, reclamation districts, municipalities, other political subdivisions, and other water users to make water available for offset to enhance and encourage economic development opportunities and economic sustainability in the river basin, subbasin, or reach; and

(g) Clearly identify procedures that applicants for new uses shall take to apply for approval of a new water use and corresponding offset.

Nothing in this subsection shall require revision or amendment of an integrated management plan approved on or before August 30, 2009.

(4) The ground water and surface water controls proposed for adoption in the integrated management plan pursuant to subsection (1) of this section shall, when considered together and with any applicable incentive programs, (a) be consistent with the goals and objectives of the plan, (b) be sufficient to ensure that the state will remain in compliance with applicable state and federal laws and with any applicable interstate water compact or decree or other formal state contract or agreement pertaining to surface water or ground water use or supplies, and (c) protect the ground water users whose water wells are dependent on recharge from the river or stream involved and the surface water appropriators on such river or stream from streamflow depletion caused by surface water uses and ground water uses begun, in the case of a river basin, subbasin, or reach designated as overappropriated or preliminarily determined to be fully appropriated in accordance with section 46-713 , after the date of such designation or preliminary determination.

(5)(a) In any river basin, subbasin, or reach that is designated as overappropriated, when the designated area lies within two or more natural resources districts, the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts shall jointly develop a basin-wide plan for the area designated as overappropriated. Such plan shall be developed using the consultation and collaboration process described in subdivision (b) of this subsection, shall be developed concurrently with the development of the integrated management plan required pursuant to subsections (1) through (4) of this section, and shall be designed to achieve, in the incremental manner described in subdivision (d) of this subsection, the goals and objectives described in subsection (2) of this section. The basin-wide plan shall be adopted after hearings by the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts.

(b) In any river basin, subbasin, or reach designated as overappropriated and subject to this subsection, the Chief Water Officer and each natural resources district encompassing such river basin, subbasin, or reach shall jointly develop an integrated management plan for such river basin, subbasin, or reach pursuant to subsections (1) through (4) of this section. Each integrated management plan for a river basin, subbasin, or reach subject to this subsection shall be consistent with any basin-wide plan developed pursuant to subdivision (a) of this subsection. Such integrated management plan shall be developed after consultation and collaboration with irrigation districts, reclamation districts, public power and irrigation districts, mutual irrigation companies, canal companies, and municipalities that rely on water from within the affected area and that, after being notified of the commencement of the plan development process, indicate in writing their desire to participate in such process. In addition, the Chief Water Officer or the affected natural resources districts may include designated representatives of other stakeholders. If agreement is reached by all parties involved in such consultation and collaboration process, the Chief Water Officer and each natural resources district shall adopt the agreed-upon integrated management plan. If agreement cannot be reached by all parties involved, the integrated management plan shall be developed and adopted by the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources district pursuant to sections 46-715 to 46-718 or by the Interrelated Water Review Board pursuant to section 46-719 .

(c) Any integrated management plan developed under this subsection shall identify the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development. Such determination shall take into account cyclical supply, including drought, identify the portion of the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development that is due to conservation measures, and identify the portions of the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development that are due to water use initiated prior to July 1, 1997, and to water use initiated on or after such date.

(d) Any integrated management plan developed under this subsection shall adopt an incremental approach to achieve the goals and objectives identified under subdivision (2)(a) of this section using the following steps:

(i) The first incremental goals shall be to address the impact of streamflow depletions to (A) surface water appropriations and (B) water wells constructed in aquifers dependent upon recharge from streamflow, to the extent those depletions are due to water use initiated after July 1, 1997, and, unless an interstate cooperative agreement for such river basin, subbasin, or reach is no longer in effect, to prevent streamflow depletions that would cause noncompliance by Nebraska with such interstate cooperative agreement. During the first increment, the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts shall also pursue voluntary efforts, subject to the availability of funds, to offset any increase in streamflow depletive effects that occur after July 1, 1997, but are caused by ground water uses initiated prior to such date. The Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts may also use other appropriate and authorized measures for such purpose;

(ii) The Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts may amend an integrated management plan subject to this subsection (5) as necessary based on an annual review of the progress being made toward achieving the goals for that increment;

(iii) During the ten years following adoption of an integrated management plan developed under this subsection (5) or during the ten years after the adoption of any subsequent increment of the integrated management plan pursuant to subdivision (d)(iv) of this subsection, the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources district shall conduct a technical analysis of the actions taken in such increment to determine the progress towards meeting the goals and objectives adopted pursuant to subsection (2) of this section. The analysis shall include an examination of (A) available supplies and changes in long-term availability, (B) the effects of conservation practices and natural causes, including, but not limited to, drought, and (C) the effects of the plan on reducing the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development identified in subdivision (5)(c) of this section. The analysis shall determine whether a subsequent increment is necessary in the integrated management plan to meet the goals and objectives adopted pursuant to subsection (2) of this section and reduce the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development identified in subdivision (5)(c) of this section;

(iv) Based on the determination made in subdivision (d)(iii) of this subsection, the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts, utilizing the consultative and collaborative process described in subdivision (b) of this subsection, shall if necessary identify goals for a subsequent increment of the integrated management plan. Subsequent increments shall be completed, adopted, and take effect not more than ten years after adoption of the previous increment; and

(v) If necessary, the steps described in subdivisions (d)(ii) through (iv) of this subsection shall be repeated until the Chief Water Officer and the affected natural resources districts agree that the goals and objectives identified pursuant to subsection (2) of this section have been met and the overall difference between the current and fully appropriated levels of development identified in subdivision (5)(c) of this section has been addressed so that the river basin, subbasin, or reach has returned to a fully appropriated condition.

(6) In any river basin, subbasin, or reach that is designated as fully appropriated or overappropriated and whenever necessary to ensure that the state is in compliance with an interstate compact or decree or a formal state contract or agreement, the Chief Water Officer, in consultation with the affected districts, shall forecast on an annual basis the maximum amount of water that may be available from streamflow for beneficial use in the short term and long term in order to comply with the requirement of subdivision (4)(b) of this section. This forecast shall be made by January 1, 2008, and each January 1 thereafter.

Laws 2004, LB 962, § 55;

Laws 2006, LB 1226, § 25;

Laws 2007, LB701, § 23;

Laws 2009, LB54, § 3;

Laws 2010, LB764, § 1;

Laws 2014, LB1098, § 14;

Laws 2025, LB317, § 214.