Public Invited to Southwest NE Water Conference

Curtis – Local irrigators, producers, and bankers are invited to attend the 20th annual Southwest Nebraska Water Conference on Wednesday, March 8, 2006 at the Red Willow County Fairgrounds Community Building in McCook. Registration will begin at 8:45 AM with the first session starting at 9:00 AM.

Representatives from the State of Nebraska and the Bureau of Reclamation will talk about statewide Settlement and Compact Issues, including the definition of a water short year and surface water supplies and outlook.

The Middle Republican NRD and local Surface Water Irrigation Districts will discuss how Settlement and Compact Issues affect producers on the local level. In addition, a panel of local producers will present techniques and strategies they have implemented to effectively reduce water consumption in their operations.

Decision-making tools such as UNL's Water Optimizer and the Water Model, developed by Bruce Dodson of Agri Affiliates, will be reviewed.

Other featured topics include questions and answers regarding crop insurance and prevented planning, maintenance and use of flow meters, and a review of various water management practices that may be implemented to reduce water consumption and increase efficiency.
Various exhibitors will be attending the conference, including: Tri-City Meters, Great Plains Meters, Southwest Implement, Reinke, Corey Irrigation, Mark Moorhouse, Senniger, District 44 Congressional Candidates, and the Middle Republican NRD.

Lunch will be provided by the Middle Republican NRD for all who attend. Sponsors for this year's conference are Red Willow County and Frontier County Extension, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, The Republican River Water Conservation and Education Coalition and the Middle Republican NRD.

The Southwest Nebraska Water Conference began in 1987 as a means to educate irrigators who had water quality problems. During the lawsuit with Kansas, the conference served to update people on the progress of the lawsuit. In the coming years the conference aims to educate producers on water quantity issues, bringing to the table the combination of information and practical application suggestions that irrigators and professionals can implement in their businesses.

Contact Kara Gall at the Middle Republican NRD at (800) 873-5613 with questions.

February 27, 2006