Lincoln County, Neb. Water in southern Lincoln County continues to flow into Medicine Creek and into the Republican River.

It's a project that was prompted in 2012 to make sure Nebraska was in compliance with the Nebraska-Kansas-Colorado Republican River Compact during drier years.

Thirty wells are currently used to pump water using a seven mile pipeline.

The project has had it's fair share of criticism.

Natural Resource District managers say they had other solutions, but the results would be devastating.

So far, the project has prevented the shutdown of more than 300,000 irrigated acres.

The Upper Republican NRD says a new agreement and decision made by the U.S. Supreme Court last year, Nebraska will be allowed to pump 60 percent less water moving forward.

"Instead of just denying Kansas's request for $70 million and a shutdown of 300,000 to 500,000 this acts as basically as a credit of around 10,000 acre feet a year to Nebraska. The new integrated management plan is more likely so that we pump the amount of water that is absolutely necessary to stay in compliance instead of just pumping based on a really conservative estimate that we get from the state," said Upper Republican Assistant Manager Nate Jenkins.

The Twin Platte NRD is also in the process of building a pipeline north of the existing project to increase flows in the Platte to 1997 conditions as part of their integrated management plan.

The north pipeline is expected to go up for bid this summer.

Construction is expected to start late this fall.