In June 2007, the North Platte NRD Board of Directors voted to set an allocation on groundwater irrigation wells in the over appropriated area of the district and the Pumpkin Creek Management Area. This decision was spurred by the ongoing drought and increasing use of wells to supplement the limited surface water supplies at that time.

Overappropriated Area

Under the new Chapter 6 rules, irrigators are allowed 70 acre-inches of groundwater per certified irrigated acre over a five-year allocation period beginning with Water Year 2015. This amount can be applied at any rate on certified irrigated acres within the five-year allocation period but must not exceed 70-acre inches during this period. This results in a yearly average allocation of 14 acre-inches per certified irrigated acre over the allocation period. This allocation applies to all certified irrigated acres (acres) within the over-appropriated area of the NRD, with the exception of the Pumpkin Creek Management Area.

To combat drought conditions, the North Platte NRD Board of Directors voted to change the Integrated Management Plan (IMP) to extend the 2010-2013 Water Years allocation from 56- acre-inches per acre for four years to 70 acre-inches per acre over five years. The changes will allow producers greater flexibility in managing groundwater.

Pumpkin Creek Management Area

In the spring of 2012, the Board of Directors unanimously approved a five-year, 60-acre-inch per certified irrigated acre groundwater allocation. The allocation went into effect on April 9, 2012.

Under the new Chapter 7 rules, irrigators are allowed 60 acre-inches of groundwater per certified irrigated acre per certified irrigated acre per allocation period. The base allocation for each certified irrigated acre is twelve (12) acre-inches per certified irrigated acre per water year.

The full text of these rules is available here or can be obtained at the District office in Scottsbluff.

 Click Here to see a map of the Overappropriated Management Area and the Pumpkin Creek Management Area.