160 years ago Mark Twain penned that now infamous phrase, “Whiskey is for drinking; water is for fighting over.”

Western Nebraska is the heart of one of the most intricate river systems in the country unfortunately, most people take it for granted.  It starts as snow falls in the mountains of Colorado and Wyoming.  The snow then melts and runs into long-term storage in several reservoirs in Wyoming.  As the water is released down the North Platte, it provides water for irrigation and recharges groundwater tables. Any unused water ends up in Lake McConaughy, which sets right on top of the Ogallala aquifer.  So it is possible that the snowflake that falls in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, could eventually end up in an irrigation well in northern Texas.

Over time, more entities and interests have been given a seat at the table. Recreation, tourism, hunting /fishing, endangered species and now municipal drinking water have come to depend on a system that seemingly costs them nothing, yet they all benefit from it.

We are now at a time where most people get their water out of a tap and really don’t see the importance of protecting our groundwater.  They are willing to let their politicians and representatives handle it for them.  Make no mistake about it, I think Mark Twain was right all along.