May 24

Our program today is David Schaff from the Engineering Firm M.C. Schaff and Associates. To speak of the second phase of a water study involving Western Nebraska and Wyoming.  Associate and Professional Engineer Mike Olsen also spoke during the presentation. The project has been named with the acronym P.A.W.S. which stands for the Platte Alliance Water Supply. And the study involves Nebraska communities along the North Platte River providing a clean water source for their citizens.  May Wyoming reservoirs, which were created in the mining and processing of coal, may be useless. The Federal government has made coal mining and energy produced from coal too expensive to continue in effect halting the production of coal. The idea is to take one of the large reservoirs and convert it to a water treatment plant, which will be piped to communities along the North Platte River. Providing an economic source for Wyoming and a use for the reservoir, and a source a clean treated water to Nebraska communities. There are many details to work out and that is why a phase two study has been commissioned as a joint effort between Scottsbluff and Wyoming.