PRESS RELEASE: Nebraska Wakes Up and Opposes Colorado Water Plan; Save The Colorado Agrees

For Immediate Release
January 18, 2022
Contact: Gary Wockner, Save The Colorado, 970-218-8310

Nebraska Wakes Up and Opposes Colorado Water Plan; Save The Colorado Agrees

South Platte River Watershed, CO: Today, Save The Colorado took a position in support of recent actions by the State of Nebraska which is making claims to South Platte River water and against the Colorado Water Plan. The Governor of Nebraska recently stated that Nebraska will try to stop the State of Colorado from limiting the amount of water flowing across state lines. Nebraska Governor Ricketts’ statements are here, and his tweets are here.

For the last several years, Save The Colorado has spoken out against the 2015 “Colorado Water Plan” which works to stop water from flowing out of Colorado and into neighboring states. In fact, Save The Colorado’s Gary Wockner called it the “Colorado Dam Plan” in a widely published newspaper column because it tries to build massive dams, diversions, and pipelines to divert water out of rivers before that water reaches state lines. In the last few years, multiple projects are being planned by Denver Metro water agencies to divert water out of the South Platte River right before that water reaches Nebraska and pump it back to the Metro area. (Project 1 here, and Project 2 here)

In a March 2020 newspaper article about one of the projects, Save The Colorado is quoted: “A multi-billion-dollar scheme to further drain and destroy the already degraded South Platte River will certainly inspire spirited opposition throughout the permitting process — I can almost guarantee it,” — Gary Wockner

Wockner’s prediction proved correct with Governor Ricketts’ recent announcements.

“Nebraska has finally woke up,” said Gary Wockner, today, of Save The Colorado. “The Colorado Water Plan is trying to drain every Colorado river before it crosses state lines. New Mexico, Kansas, Utah, and Wyoming also need to wake up to Colorado’s massive river-destroying water grab before it’s too late.”

***end***