This bill amends section 46-740 of the Reissue Revised Statutes of Nebraska to update provisions related to groundwater allocation and the use of integrated management plans, rules, or orders. Key changes include the establishment that allocations made to municipalities prior to November 1, 2005, will remain effective but can be amended by the appropriate natural resources district. Additionally, starting January 1, 2026, any new or expanded commercial or industrial user that exceeds a water use of twenty-five million gallons annually will be subject to the controls of an integrated management plan and must provide a mitigation report to the relevant natural resources district.

The bill also clarifies that, unless an integrated management plan, rule, or order is established before November 1, 2005, no such plan will limit groundwater use by municipalities or nonmunicipal commercial or industrial users in areas deemed fully appropriated or overappropriated until January 1, 2026. After this date, the base amount for annual allocations will be determined based on specified criteria, and any increases in consumptive use that decrease streamflow will be subject to the controls of an integrated management plan, rule, or order. The original section 46-740 is repealed as part of this legislative update.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 46-740