For the first time since 1999, Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District officials are starting to talk about a full Lake McConaughy
The state's largest lake, a critical source of south-central Nebraska irrigation water, held 1.44 million acre-feet of water Wednesday.
That means it's about 83 percent full. Central officials believe that by fall or winter, Lake McConaughy could rise 10.5 feet to reach capacity.
Meanwhile, high flows in the South Platte River continue to keep the Central Platte River at or near flood stage. The Kearney gauge measured 6.4 feet Wednesday, compared with a 6-foot flood stage.
Central Civil Engineer Cory Steinke of Holdrege has extended his estimate of how long Lake McConaughy will continue to gain volume to late July or even early August. “I'm sure that's happened before,” he said, “but not in my time.”
“It would be very, very unusual,” Central Public Relations Manager Tim Anderson agreed.
Steinke said the lake may fill, but that goal likely won't be reached until the fall or winter months. Anderson said its lowest volume ever was in September 2004 at 320,000 acre feet, or less than 20 percent of its 1.7 million acre feet capacity. The previous low was 400,000 acre feet in 1956.
After spending the first half of the decade finding the best ways to stretch and conserve limited water supplies during an extended drought, Steinke said he's now being “run ragged” managing the high river flows.
Anderson joked that it's impossible to please Lake McConaughy visitors no matter how much water is in the lake.
“Years ago, they called and were worried about not having enough water,” he said. “Today, they're concerned about having no beaches.”
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