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ALMA — Republican River Compact compliance alternatives to state options to reduce basin irrigation allocations were aired Thursday.

The discussion was at the Lower Republican Natural Resources District Board meeting in Alma. The focus was on measures to avoid the state plan’s most severe option: reducing groundwater allocations to 3.6 inches per acre in the LRNRD, 4.8 inches in the Middle Republican NRD and 5.9 inches in the Upper Republican NRD.

Nebraska Department of Natural Resources officials have said such cuts would guarantee Nebraska’s compact compliance in all years, even those defined as water-short based on Harlan County Lake levels.

Another state option is to maintain current allocations — 9 inches per acre in the LRNRD — but shut down “quick-response” wells near the river or major tributaries in water-short years.

Holbrook farmer Dale Helms outlined his concerns to the LRNRD directors Thursday that the computer model used by state officials doesn’t include all the acres in the basin and that not enough attention has been paid to the effects of current or potential conservation measures.

“There are ways to stimulate water savings,” Helms said, adding that one idea is to convert 300,000 to 500,000 more acres to center-pivot irrigation.

Another option is represented in a resolution LRNRD officials are circulating to government entities, farm organizations and financial groups that says “best management practices” should be used to augment streamflows for the long term.

“Of the organizations we have talked with, all are interested in long-term solutions to compliance, not a year-by-year, short-term solution being proposed by the state,” said LRNRD Manager Mike Clements.

The next Hub Territory public information meeting on the state plan starts at 6 p.m. Monday at the Ella Missing Center in Arapahoe. It’s one of eight Republican Basin meetings next week scheduled by DNR.

Also discussed at the LRNRD meeting Thursday was a possible Republican River augmentation project using groundwater from the Dakota Aquifer, which extends from the Arctic Circle to New Mexico. Most of it is under Kansas, but it doesn’t extend across the state line into the LRNRD.

Clements said that because of the groundwater’s high salt content, river augmentation isn’t viable now because purification would cost too much.

Also Thursday, the directors were told that Imperial attorney Joel E. Burke has filed motions for summary and default judgments in district courts in Chase, Red Willow and Harlan counties. Burke represents the Lower, Middle and Upper Republican NRDs and farmer Craig Bonham.

The goal is to consolidate into one court ruling a decision about how to refund special property taxes collected in 2007 under LB701 that later were ruled unconstitutional by the Nebraska Supreme Court.

Burke argues that the most efficient method to resolve the issue is to have one judge appointed to hear all three cases. He believes McCook would be the most central and convenient location for hearings, which still could be scheduled in 2009.

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lori.potter@kearneyhub.com