Thomas Mott Osborne: “As you mentioned, H.R. 4750 is a study as to how to more efficiently utilize water between Harlan County Dam in Nebraska…”

“As you mentioned, H.R. 4750 is a study as to how to more efficiently utilize water between Harlan County Dam in Nebraska and Milford Reservoir in Kansas. The reason this is so important is that Nebraska and Kansas signed a compact in 2002, which means that a lot of Nebraska water goes down the Republican River into Kansas, and Nebraska so far has been short. We are 100,000 acre feet short, as a matter of fact, over the last 3 years. And this has been exacerbated by an extreme drought which we have had for the last 6 years. So this water shortage has made for a very critical situation. So if we can, through this study, allocate water more effectively, save some water, it will help farmers, ranchers, municipalities both in Nebraska and Kansas. We think it is very important. We urge its passage.”