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Colorado, Nebraska jostle over water rights amid drought

The Peterson Ditch that carries water from the South Platte River to Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jay Goddard, a regional president of a bank, stands in the path of the old canal attempt that cuts through his property Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Julesburg, Colo. His bank provides operating loans to farmers on both sides of the border to keep them running until harvest time. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A corn field is seen on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jeanne Malmkar, 75, and her husband Collin, 79, examine a map of the original canal plan given to her by her grandfather Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Grant, Neb. Her great-grandfather worked on a failed 1898 effort to dig a canal from Ovid, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A pivot irrigation system stands on Steve Hanson's corn field following a heavy rain Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his irrigated water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Water pipes lie dormant on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider drives a tractor to plant alfalfa and oats on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider monitors as his son Bradon works a corn planter Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. They pump water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Steve Hanson poses for a photo in front of one of his water pumping stations Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his irrigation water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider stands in front of an augmentation pond on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) The South Platte River flows on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Fort Morgan, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) The Peterson Ditch that carries water from the South Platte River to Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jay Goddard, a regional president of a bank, stands in the path of the old canal attempt that cuts through his property Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Julesburg, Colo. His bank provides operating loans to farmers on both sides of the border to keep them running until harvest time. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A corn field is seen on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jeanne Malmkar, 75, and her husband Collin, 79, examine a map of the original canal plan given to her by her grandfather Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Grant, Neb. Her great-grandfather worked on a failed 1898 effort to dig a canal from Ovid, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A pivot irrigation system stands on Steve Hanson's corn field following a heavy rain Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his irrigated water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Water pipes lie dormant on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider drives a tractor to plant alfalfa and oats on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider monitors as his son Bradon works a corn planter Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. They pump water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Steve Hanson poses for a photo in front of one of his water pumping stations Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his irrigation water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider stands in front of an augmentation pond on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from a shallow aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) The South Platte River flows on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Fort Morgan, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) The Peterson Ditch that carries water from the South Platte River to Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jay Goddard, a regional president of Julesburg's Points West Community Bank, stands in the path of the old canal that cuts through his property Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Julesburg, Colo. His bank provides operating loans to farmers on both sides of the border to keep them running until harvest time. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A corn field is seen on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Jeanne Malmkar, 75, and her husband Collin, 79, examine a map of the original canal plan given to her by her grandfather Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Grant, Neb. Her great-grandfather worked on a failed 1898 effort to dig a canal from Ovid, Colo. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) A pivot irrigation system stands on Steve Hanson's corn field following a heavy rain Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his irrigated water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Water pipes lie dormant on Don Schneider's property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from an aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider drives a tractor to plant alfalfa and oats on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. Schneider and his neighbors take surplus South Platte water in winter to augment the wells they use to irrigate their crops in summer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider monitors as his son Bradon works a newly fixed corn planter Friday, April 29, in Ovid, Colo. They pump water from an aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Steve Hanson poses for a photo in front of one of his water pumping stations Saturday, April 30, 2022, in Elsie, Neb. He raises beef cattle and grows corn, all of his water coming from the Ogallala Aquifer. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) Don Schneider stands in front of an augmentation pond on his property Friday, April 29, 2022, in Ovid, Colo. He pumps water from an aquifer for irrigation, and uses supply from the South Platte River to replenish the wells. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson) The South Platte River flows on Thursday, April 28, 2022, in Fort Morgan, Colo. As climate change-fueled megadrought edges eastward, Nebraska wants to divert water in Colorado by invoking an obscure, 99-year-old compact between the states that allows Nebraska to seize Colorado land along the South Platte River to build a canal. (AP Photo/Brittany Peterson)
Colorado, Nebraska jostle over water rights amid drought