TONIGHT. JULIE: MORE NOW ON THE CONCERN ALONG THE PLATTE RIVER. BILL: THE NATIONAL DROUGHT CENTER SAYS THE RIVER IS ALMOST ENTIRELY DRY DOWNSTREAM OF KEARNEY. JULIE: SEAN MACKINNON SPOKE TO THE HEAD OF NEBRASKA’S WATER PLANNING. HE REPORTS LIVE FROM THE RIVER NEAR VALLEY. REPORTER: NEBRASKA IS EXPERIENCING SOME OF THE WORST DROUGHT IT’S SEEN IN YEARS. AND HERE AT THE PLATTE RIVER, YOU CAN SEE THE AFFECTS. >> OH, I’M A RIVER RAT. I LOVE FISHING THE RIVER. REPORTER: IT’S A LIFETIME AFFAIR FOR DAVID LASTOVICA. >> AND I’VE BEEN OUT AT MY CABIN SINCE I WAS 12 WEEKS OLD, AND I’M 58 AND NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS. REPORTER: NOW THE PLATTE RIVER IS SO LOW, IT’S EVEN SCARING LOCALS. >> IT’S SAD, I MEAN, WE NEED RAIN. WE NEED RAIN. REPORTER: AND ACTUALLY, EVERYWHERE AROUND HERE NEEDS RAIN. >> 100% OF THE STATE OF NEBRASKA IS IN SOME FORM OF DROUGHT, AND A GOOD PORTION OF IT IS IN THE MOST SEVERE CATEGORY OF DROUGHT, AND A LOT OF THAT FOCUS IS OUT WEST. REPORTER: THAT’S JEREMY GEHLLE, HEAD OF WATER PLANNING FOR NEBRASKA DNR. HE SAYS DRY GROUND HURTS FARMERS. >> THE DROUGHT WE’RE EXPERIENCING HAS A LOT OF NEGATIVE AFFECTS WITH CROP YIELDS. >> I FEEL HORRIBLE FOR THE FARMERS. IF YOU DON’T HAVE AN IRRIGATED CROP, I DRIVE AROUND THE COUNTRY AND THE GRAVEL ROADS AND THEY’RE ALL BURNED UP. REPORTER: BUT THERE’S HOPE FOR RECOVERY. >> PROBABLY BY MID-NOVEMBER, THERE’S A FAIR CHANCE WE START SEEING THE RIVERS RETURN TO A SOMEWHAT MORE NORMAL STATE, WE HOPE. >> I MEAN, WE WENT THROUGH SOME ROUGH YEARS, BUT NOTHING LIKE THIS, SO I REALLY HOPE SOMETHING HAPPENS. REPORTER: WHETHER IT’S BY RAIN OR BY SNOW, LOCALS ARE HOPING THAT COME WINTER, SANDBANKS LIKE THIS ONE ARE UNDERWATER AGAIN. REPORTING AT THE PLATTE RIVER, SEAN MACKINNON, KETV NEWSWATCH 7. JULIE: THERE’S A CALL FOR MORE RESOURCES FOR THOSE IMPACTED BY THE DROUGHT. DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, CAROL BLOOD, SAYS IT’S NOT ABOUT AGREEING ON CLIMATE CHANGE, BUT ABOUT HELPING NEBRASKANS IN NEED. >> WE SHOULD BE BOOTS ON THE GROUND WHEN OUR FARMERS ARE IN A DROUGHT. WE SHOULD BE IN THOSE COMMUNITIES HELPING THEM, GIVING THEM RESOURCES. AT THIS TIME, WE’RE NOT DOING THAT. JULIE: BLOOD FACES REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE JIM PILLEN IN THE RACE FOR GOVERNOR. WE ARE AWAITING A RESPONSE FROM
Nebraska, Platte River facing worst drought in a decade
The National Drought Center says the river is almost entirely dry downstream of Kearney.
Updated: 11:28 PM CDT Oct 19, 2022
New video shows the extent of the drought on the Platte River. The National Drought Center says the river is almost entirely dry downstream of Kearney.Jeremy Gehle, the division head of water planning at the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, briefed KETV on the situation. “100 % of the state of Nebraska is in some form of drought, and a good portion of it is in the most severe category of drought. And a lot of that focus is out West,” Gehle said.He says that the last time Nebraska saw a drought of this nature was 2012, and with that, bad news for farmers.”The drought we’re experiencing has a lot of negative effects with crop yields,” he said.Platte River local David Lastovica shares the sentiment.”I mean, I feel horrible for the farmers. I mean, if you don’t have an irrigated crop, I drive around the country, and the gravel roads and they’re all burned up,” Lastovica said.As someone who lives and fishes on the river, he says this drought is different.”And I’ve been out at my cabin since I was 12 weeks old, and I’m 58 and never seen it like this,” he said. Gehle says that this fall, things could get better.”Probably by mid-November, there’s a fair chance we start seeing the rivers return to a somewhat more normal state, we hope.”
New video shows the extent of the drought on the Platte River.
The National Drought Center says the river is almost entirely dry downstream of Kearney.
Jeremy Gehle, the division head of water planning at the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, briefed KETV on the situation.
“100 % of the state of Nebraska is in some form of drought, and a good portion of it is in the most severe category of drought. And a lot of that focus is out West,” Gehle said.
He says that the last time Nebraska saw a drought of this nature was 2012, and with that, bad news for farmers.
“The drought we’re experiencing has a lot of negative effects with crop yields,” he said.
Platte River local David Lastovica shares the sentiment.
“I mean, I feel horrible for the farmers. I mean, if you don’t have an irrigated crop, I drive around the country, and the gravel roads and they’re all burned up,” Lastovica said.
As someone who lives and fishes on the river, he says this drought is different.
“And I’ve been out at my cabin since I was 12 weeks old, and I’m 58 and never seen it like this,” he said.
Gehle says that this fall, things could get better.
“Probably by mid-November, there’s a fair chance we start seeing the rivers return to a somewhat more normal state, we hope.”