Water Rights
Injury Assessments
Spear T Ranch:
The Ranch is located in Morrill County, Nebraska and it has two surface water permits for diversions from Pumpkin Creek. However, over the years ground water use has increased upgradient from the Ranch such that surface flows have continued to diminish due to the hydraulic interaction between the local groundwater table and the surface flows and Pumpkin Creek. LWS was requested to develop a surface water/ground water model of the Pumpkin Creek and the associated alluvial ground water system to assess the magnitude of injury to the Spear T Ranch water rights. This case was pursued in Nebraska District Court (CI03-16).
Sustainable Water Resources:
Ground water resources are sought to be developed in the San Luis Valley from new, deep confined aquifer wells. Because these wells will be relatively junior within the priority system, and to meet the Confined Aquifer Rules in Division 3, it is necessary to assess the potential injury to other vested water rights. LWS has used the Rio Grande Decision Support System model, simulating the projected pumping of the Sustainable Water Resources wells, to assess the potential for injury. Analyses indicate that a project of up to 35,000 ac-ft/yr could be developed and an augmentation plan adjudicated to prevent injury to vested water rights.
Gallegos Family:
The Gallegos family owns the Consolidated Larson Ditch, as well as Larson Reservoir Nos. 1 and 2 in the Upper Crow Creek Designated Ground Water Basin. Since these surface water rights pre-date the creation of the designated basin, these rights should be protected from the more junior ground water irrigation pumping occurring upstream of the surface diversion of the Consolidated Larson Ditch. LWS conducted both a field investigation, as well as a hydrogeologic assessment of groundwater flow patterns and ground water/surface water hydraulic interaction, to assess how the upgradient irrigation wells were affecting flow at the ditch headgate. These investigations were utilized to demonstrate the injury being caused by the upgrading alluvial aquifer pumping.