Water leases will benefit endangered species along Platte River

The North Platte Telegraph :

Endangered species along the central Platte River need water to survive, and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is working to ensure that they have it.

For the last five years CNPPID has leased water from farmers in cooperation with the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program. At its meeting Tuesday in Holdrege, Central’s board voted to renew the agreement for five more years.

Participating farmers agree not to irrigate the land covered by the lease, with either groundwater or surface water, during the period of the lease. The water is then credited to the environmental account in Lake McConaughy, an account managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as specified in the PRRIP.