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SECTION 3
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
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SECTION 4
Title 1
Title 2
Title 3
Title 4
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Title 6

Steve Westphal
Nebraska Trout Unlimited #710
5954 Old Hwy 8
Fremont, NE 68025
402 721 9514


Senator Ben Nelson
720 Hart Senate Bldg.
Washington, DC 20510



Senator Nelson,

My name is Steve Westphal and I represent Nebraska Trout Unlimited as past president and current treasurer.
You might remember me as I interviewed you, live, on KHUB radio in Fremont, after you were elected. I gained a lot of respect for you that day and it continues as I feel you represent the people of Nebraska fairly and with distinction. I am an environmentalist very concerned with preserving the outdoors here in our state. My father was a steward of the outdoors for over 60 years as past Nat'l Director of the Izaak Walton League and I hope I am doing what he would want me to do. Sometimes it is very hard to do the right thing, as you must know.
At present I am very concerned about the potential title transfer of Merritt reservoir from the Bureau of Reclamation to the Ainsworth Irrigation District. Along with the title transfer comes the possibility of hydropower generation at the site. This combination could prove lethal for the reservoir and it's rivers including the Snake and the Niobrara. I am not anti-farming, in fact, I come from a long heritage of people who worked the land. I realize that irrigation is an essential part of farming and must be done in some areas. What concerns me most is that the Ainsworth Irrigation District, upon title transfer, has the power to control the destiny of said reservoir, the Snake River, and the Niobrara basin, one of the most holy waters in the state. This potential transfer must come under the utmost scrutiny to be sure that the environment is not harmed in the name of agriculture. Draw downs of the water at Merritt could severely effect the Walleye egg harvest, which supplies the state hatcheries with some of their best genetic stock. The Snake River, the states most prolific trout water, would suffer with loss of habitat, and the Niobrara River could be effected for the vast number of canoeists and citizens who enjoy it.
Law demands that an environmental assessment be done before transfer. The irrigation district has hired their own consultant to do the EA. What is not required, but essential to the future of the resource, is an Environmental Impact Statement or EIS. The EIS is designed to study the total impact such a transfer might have on the entire ecosystem in that area. We, along with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, have requested that an EIS be done but the district doesn't want anything to do with it. An Environmental Assessment is a simple survey that doesn't tell the whole story whereas an EIS does explore all the possibilities of such an action. It is crucial that an EIS be done so the right decisions can be made surrounding this venture.
Senator Nelson, I know you are an outdoorsman and sportsman, and have a good working knowledge of what is right for our environment. Simply doing an EA is NOT right for the future of the resource. Merritt reservoir hosts thousands of recreational and sporting individuals annually and it deserves closer scrutiny that only an Environmental Impact Statement can supply. I am asking you, as a fisherman and hunter, that you help to demand an EIS be done before a title transfer of the reservoir takes place. I have faith that you will employ your ability to make the right decision in this case. The future of the entire Merritt reservoir, Snake River, and Niobrara system hangs in the balance.
Thank you for considering this request on behalf of all the people of this state who enjoy our outdoor resources.

Sincerely, Steve Westphal