Water has been called the "issue of the decade" for Nebraskans and, if nothing else, it is a constant topic for discussion.

People in the Holdrege area are invited to hear and discuss current water issues at the Holdrege Water Conference on Thurs., Feb. 1 at the Phelps County Ag Center.

After 11 years in Elwood, the Water Conference is now in its second year in Holdrege, bringing together experts involved with water issues to discuss topics important to area residents.

The conference is scheduled to start at 10 a.m., and will conclude around 3 p.m. There is no admission fee, the public is invited to attend, and lunch will be served courtesy of the conference's sponsors.

Ann Bleed, newly appointed director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, will deliver the keynote address. Bleed was selected earlier this month to lead the agency after serving as acting director since July 2005. She has been with DNR since 1988, serving as the state hydrologist until 2000 when she was named deputy director.

Bleed takes the reins at DNR amid growing concerns about Nebraska's ability to comply with terms of a settlement with Kansas over Republican River water, initiation of an endangered species recovery program involving the Platte River, moratoriums on new water development in many parts of the state, and drought conditions that have persisted since 2000.

Also on the agenda is a discussion of the impact of invasive plant species such as salt cedar and phragmites on the state's rivers and streams. Kent Aden of The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Chris Helzer, director of science and stewardship for The Nature Conservancy, will each address the issue.

Steve Melvin of the University of Nebraska's West Central Research & Extension Center in Curtis will give a presentation about irrigation scheduling and a summary of a deficit irrigation project.

Chuck Woodside, general manager of the Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance (KAAPA), and Prof. Terry Klopfenstein from UNL's Dept. of Animal Science will address the growing ethanol industry in the state and its impact on agriculture, livestock operations, and the state's economy.

Wrapping up the agenda are Tom Franti, associate professor of biological systems engineering at UNL, and John Thorburn, manager of the Tri-Basin Natural Resources District in Holdrege. Both will present information about water conservation programs, including the federal Conservation Security Program, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program and the newly initiated Conservation Corners program.

The Holdrege Area Chamber of Commerce joins with the Tri-Basin Natural Resources District, The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District, and Phelps-Gosper Cooperative Extension to sponsor the event.
Area merchants and agricultural suppliers will be on hand with booths and displays to discuss their products and services with conference attendees.

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Agenda:
10:00 a.m. - Registration (coffee & rolls)
10:15 a.m. - Invasive Plant Species: Water Pirates in Nebraska
Kent Aden, Assistant Real Estate Manager, CNPPID
Chris Helzer, Director of Science & Stewardship, The Nature Conservancy
11:15 a.m. - Break - opportunity to visit vendors' booths
11:30 a.m. - Irrigation Scheduling and Deficit Irrigation Project Summary
Steve Melvin, UNL Extension Educator, West Central Research & Extension Center, Curtis, Neb.
12:15 p.m. - Lunch courtesy of conference sponsors
Keynote Address: Ann Bleed, Director, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
1:30 p.m. - Nebraska's Ethanol Industry
Chuck Woodside, General Manager, Kearney Area Ag Producers Alliance (KAAPA)
Professor Terry Klopfenstein, Animal Science Dept., University of Nebraska-Lincoln
2:15 p.m. - Water Conservation -- Conservation Security Program, Conservation Corners and CREP
Tom Franti, UNL, Associate Professor of Biological Systems Engineering & Surface Water Management Engineer
John Thorburn, Manager, Tri-Basin Natural Resources District