Welcome to platterivertruth.org

Click here to Email us: facts@platterivertruth.org

Learn about the next "Endangered Species" in the Platte River Valley of Nebraska:

GROUNDWATER IRRIGATION

and what the Myths are that are causing this threat.
NOTE TO READERS: To see newly added information, just scroll down below the picture

Look below to see more USGS data  which PROVES the Platte River is absolutely NOT being dried up by groundwater development!
well2.jpg (17948 bytes) If you are in any way dependent on irrigation wells to produce a crop in the Platte Valley of Nebraska, you need to learn more about the COHYST project.

This could harm your ability to irrigate your crops in the future and for no good reason.

Consider informing yourself on this critical project. Click to Read about  the serious DEFECTS identified by a Platte Valley landowner/Engineer- and how CPNRD is trying to ignore them.

NEW Go to the COHYST problem page[new 2/15/04]

To see who the Central Platte NRD directors are, CLICK HERE
NEW - Read about the story of evasion, deception, and just plain LIES [and the  SERIOUS & HARMFUL problems with COHYST] which Nebraskans are experiencing on water issues in "Nebraska Water Myths - The Falsehoods, Half-Truths & Just Plain LIES That Threaten the economic future of Platte Valley Agriculture & the entire state of Nebraska" by a 4th generation land owner & Registered Professional Engineer.                                             [new 2/15/04]
UPDATED - Go to the LB962 page for news on the Water Policy Task Force Bill which threatens your future. KRVN interviews, press releases, other information of interest is there. Is updated as news comes in and time permits.          [new 2/15/04] 
NEW - Go to the CPNRD Problem page for news and information on how the voting majority of the current board of directors are failing to meet their obligations to act in the public's interests.
- How they practice unequal treatment of landowners on regulation enforcement
- State they will refuse to allow affected landowners from appearing before them
- Condone personal attacks on landowners by the Chair of their Water Resources Committee.
- Fail to act to protect the farmer's interests by refusing to correct COHYST               [new 2/15/04]
THE BUREAUCRAT'S MYTH: Groundwater development for irrigation wells is causing the Platte River to be dry(zero flow). They would have you believe the sky is falling and the river flows at Grand Island are zero(dry) more then ever before-and they want you to believe this is caused by the large number of irrigation wells developed since the 1940's. This is PURE HOGWASH(spelled "lie")!                    [new 12/28/03]
Click here to see plots (and tabular data) of the number of zero flow (dry river days) at Grand Island since 1934.   You will notice that for over 20 years beginning in 1979 the river NEVER went dry, but it did regularly go dry during the 30's, 40's, 50's and 60's. [new 12/28/03]
Click here to see plots of both dry days and the increase in the number of wells . Note that while the number of wells has increased by a huge amount, the number of dry (zero flow) days in the river has effectively gone to zero. Only beginning in 2002 with the extreme drought in the west, has the river dried up. If this were caused by irrigation wells, the number of zero flow days would have increased during the 80's and 90's. Instead there were NO zero flow days during those 2 decades. This proves the Bureaucrat's Myth is PURE HOGWASH!                    [new 12/28/03]
Read an outstanding letter by an Ayr, NE farmer which clearly shows how the claim wells are drying up the river is a big lie and identifies the irresponsible political games, threats, and lies being used by BUREAUCRATS who want to DESTROY the local control of NRDs and gain COMPLETE CONTROL over ALL sources of irrigation water in the state of Nebraska.      [new 12/21/03]
Read the specifics of a formal request for action to CPNRD to immediately act to correct defects in COHYST that this Nebraska native/landowner/Engineer has identified - complete with recommendations that will correct those defects to protect the farmer.[new 12/18/03]
Click here to read an excellent article which completely counters the MYTH that groundwater pumping is depleting the Platte River Flows.[new 12/18/03]
Listen to a KRVN interview with the CPNRD General Manager in which he ADMITS they "....don't have any evidence to show that groundwater pumping is depleting flows.."[new 12/18/03]
FLASH!! On November 20, 2003,  11 members of the CPNRD board made a BIG MISTAKE. They IGNORED the objections of the stakeholders who elected them, disregarded the lack of facts, and passed a 3 year moratorium on drilling of new irrigation wells. Click here to read the Grand Island Independent article describing the vote.
Click here to read the twisted, misleading, and flawed reasoning provided by the CPNRD General Manager [who seems to think a "belief" is the same as  "Fact, supported by scientific data"] to the Board of Directors prior to this vote. NOTE the reference to the existence of PREVIOUSLY UNDISCLOSED data claiming to show groundwater development is depleting the Platte river!
A BIG THANK YOU to those directors who had the common sense and courage to oppose the moratorium.

Click here to see who to thank and continue to support.

And, SHAME ON those who voted to pass it and in doing so,  ignored the best interests of irrigated agriculture, the wishes of their constituents, and the complete lack of scientific facts to support the need for this moratorium.

Click here to see who to remove from office
CLICK HERE to see proof [from the DNR well database] that 2 directors drilled NEW wells in 2003, then voted FOR the moratorium. [They got theirs, but they voted to make sure that their neighbors can't!]

This predicted the BIG MISTAKE [moratorium vote outcome]

Are the CPNRD Directors blindly going to vote for a moratorium, without regard for the facts, or the opinions of those who they are elected to represent?

Read this article from the November 19 Grand Island Independent and decide for yourself!!
HEARINGS SHOW MORE THAN 90 % OPPOSED to the Moratorium. Over 400 stakeholders appeared at 4 hearings on the drilling moratorium - nearly all were opposed to the idea. CLICK HERE to see press reports from local papers.

ALERT! - Public records (DNR database) show that at least 2 CPNRD board members drilled their own NEW WELLS in 2003 then voted in September to prevent others from doing so!!!                         Ask Yourself - IS THIS FAIR?!

CLICK HERE to see who they are.
IMPORTANT - CLICK HERE to see reports that PROVE there are false & misleading statements now being made by certain individuals to politically justify the proposed CPNRD well drilling moratorium. This is SERIOUS stuff!
CLICK HERE to see why BAD SCIENCE, POLITICS, & FLAWED REASONING lead Central Platte NRD down the wrong path on possible well drilling moratorium.
CLICK HERE to see 10/23/03 briefing of the Central Platte NRD by a landowner/engineer concerned about COHYST - as YOU should be.
CLICK HERE to see what the Grand Island Independent report says about the COHYST meeting and issues on the project.
CLICK HERE to see what a truly respected expert has to say about some of these issues[from Grand Island Independent - 10/22/03]
CLICK HERE to see questions asked by that landowner before the 10/23/03 meeting at the Central Platte NRD.

CLICK HERE to see other information on COHYST and related river issues.