News Release from
The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District

Date: July 17, 2008
Contact: Tim Anderson, Public Relations Manager
Phone: (308) 995-8601

Central Will Use Supply Canal Lakes for Last Irrigation Deliveries in August

(HOLDREGE, Neb.) -- The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District will lower lake levels later this summer at Johnson Lake, Jeffrey Lake and Midway Lake to conserve storage water in Lake McConaughy.

Central plans to reduce releases from Lake McConaughy and use storage water from Johnson Lake, as well as Jeffrey and Midway lakes, to supply irrigators during the last irrigation deliveries of the season. Deliveries are scheduled to end on Aug. 26.

Central implemented similar measures in each of the past three years which helped conserve thousands of acre-feet of water at Lake McConaughy. Due to a one-week delay in the start of 2008 deliveries, the lakes will begin to decline several days later than in 2007.

Johnson Lake's water level will begin to recede on Aug. 11 and is expected to decline by up to eight feet by the end of August.

The water level at Jeffrey Lake will begin to decline on Aug. 11 and will be down approximately four feet by the end of August.

Midway Lake is also expected to decline approximately two feet beginning on Aug. 11.

The lakes will slowly rise after the end of diversions by other irrigation canals along the Platte River. Lake levels are expected to be back to normal by the end of October.

In response to low water supplies at Lake McConaughy, Central's irrigation customers were limited to 6.7 inches/acre this year over an eight-week season. Normal deliveries are 15 to 18 inches/acre over 12 weeks.

The scheduled reductions in lake levels may be delayed if the area receives significant precipitation during the drawdown period.

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