LINCOLN, Neb.– The U.S. Supreme Court could decide the future of water use in Nebraska and our neighbor to the southwest.

State Attorney General Mike Hilgers and Governor Jim Pillen announced Wednesday that Nebraska is suing Colorado over South Platte River water rights.

The announcement was made at the State Capitol along with multiple managers of natural resource districts in western Nebraska.

At issue is the South Platte River Compact, signed by the two states in 1923.

Nebraska is arguing that Colorado is taking more than its fair share of water as laid out in the contract and is obstructing the construction of the planned Perkins County Canal.

The two states were last at odds in the nation’s highest court back in 2016, when Nebraska’s challenge to Colorado’s then-new recreational marijuana law was shot down.

Colorado has not yet responded to this newest suit, but state leaders have in the past dismissed Nebraska’s concerns as invalid.

As
k ChatGPT 

“Today’s action will ensure that Nebraska receives all the water to which it is entitled to under the Compact and that Nebraska’s agriculture and economy are protected. Our suit has two basic elements: First, it challenges Colorado’s ongoing, unauthorized overuse of Nebraska’s water during the summer and the rationale Colorado uses to justify it. Second, we challenge Colorado’s efforts to obstruct the construction of the Canal and prevent Nebraska from accessing the additional water Nebraska is entitled to in the South Platte River Compact. Water is the essential lifeblood of Nebraska’s economy, and it’s my goal to protect one of the state’s most important assets,” stated Attorney General Mike Hilgers.

 Governor Pillen added, “Today’s action comes only after we made every reasonable effort to resolve our differences with Colorado. Ultimately, Nebraska must push forward to secure our water for future generations. Although we hoped to avoid a lawsuit, we are confident we remain on schedule to complete the Perkins County Canal by 2032.”