The N-CORPE project will provide water to both the Republican and the Platte River Basins.  The TPNRD is a partner for the benefits to the Platte River.  The TPNRDs obligations for the Platte River are to be in compliance with the TPNRD Integrated Management Plan (IMP), and to assist the state of Nebraska to meet its obligations for the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program (PRRIP) to return the Platte River to 1997 conditions.  For the TPNRD IMP, water must be added to the Platte River or regulatory actions will be taken for all water users. 

The IMP was required by Nebraska law, and was jointly developed by the TPNRD and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources following 50 meetings with stakeholders between 2005 and 2009. The Platte River Basin within the TPNRD is over appropriated and the TPNRD is required to incrementally achieve and sustain a fully appropriated condition. Within the first ten year increment of this IMP (2009-2019), the TPNRD has to address impacts of stream flow depletions to surface water appropriations from ground water wells constructed after July 1, 1997. The IMP, the Rules and Regulations, and the Board meeting minutes, can be viewed on the TPNRD website at www.tpnrd.org. The TPNRDs annual obligation for the first increment is 7,700 acre feet before the end of 2019.

The N-CORPE project will transport water, via a pipeline, to the Platte and Republican Rivers that otherwise would have been consumed by crops on 16,000 acres of irrigated land in southern Lincoln County.  The project will provide augmentation water to both rivers in years when needed, to maintain compliance with both the Republican River obligations and the Platte River obligations.

The project provides the ability to manage the augmentation water releases when they are needed, to meet obligations and to protect the economic viability of the Platte River Basin.