By Allison Peck
Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will hold a community discussion in Ogallala next month focused on the water supply at Lake McConaughy.
The informational presentation is scheduled for Monday, October 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Mountain Time at the Lake McConaughy Water Interpretive Center at 1475 NE Highway 61 in Ogallala.
According to CNPPID, the discussion will focus on current lake conditions, conservation initiatives and operational planning. The evening will also include a question-and-answer session, giving members of the public an opportunity to ask questions directly of district officials. Light refreshments will be provided, and a Zoom option will be available upon request.
The meeting comes as Lake McConaughy continues to sit at historically low levels.
CNPPID's latest reservoir information shows Lake McConaughy at 3,201.4 feet, with approximately 390,500 acre-feet of water, or 22.4% of its total capacity, as of September 24. CNPPID's data shows the lake was at 3,222.8 feet at this time last year. Inflows are also significantly lower, at 362 cubic feet per second compared with 1,310 cubic feet per second one year ago.
The low water supply has already led CNPPID to take steps aimed at conservation. At its September board meeting, the district approved a conservation surcharge of $3.14 per inch for irrigation water used above 12 inches, while limiting deliveries to 18 inches for the 2027 irrigation season. CNPPID said the changes are part of a broader conservation plan developed in response to lower water levels at Lake McConaughy.
The district says the majority of its contracted irrigation acres have historically used 12 inches of water or less, but the current conditions are requiring additional planning as it looks ahead to future water supplies.
The implications extend well beyond irrigation. CNPPID identifies Lake McConaughy as its primary storage reservoir and says its system provides irrigation water to approximately 108,000 acres. The district's water system also provides groundwater recharge benefits to hundreds of thousands of additional acres irrigated by wells.
Water stored at Lake McConaughy is also used for hydropower, recreation, instream flows, cooling water and groundwater recharge.
The declining lake level has already had an impact on recreation. The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission has reported changes to access at Lake McConaughy as water levels have fallen, including the closure of the last public boat ramp in August.
The Nebraska Department of Natural Resources has also identified Lake McConaughy storage as a key factor in water supply management downstream along the Platte River.
That makes the October 19 meeting particularly notable for the Ogallala area. Rather than holding the discussion somewhere outside the community, CNPPID is bringing the conversation directly to Ogallala and specifically focusing the evening on the lake's water supply, conservation and future operations.
The meeting will be held from 6 to 7:30 p.m., Mountain Time, October 19 at the Lake McConaughy Water Interpretive Center. CNPPID is asking those who plan to attend to RSVP to eanderson@cnppid.com. A Zoom option is available upon request.