"Almost everyone agrees that the Kickapoo Tribe of northeast Kansas needs a better source of water than the less-than-dependable Delaware River. Most agree that the best solution could be the creation of the Plum Creek Reservoir.

But after more than 20 years of talking, the reservoir project remains stymied in an impasse built on distrust.

On one side, the Nemaha-Brown Watershed Joint District No. 7 argues that the tribe needs to do a better job of negotiating with the property owners who need to sell land to the Kickapoo to make the project work.

On the other side, the leadership of the tribe is convinced some property owners, with an eye on the tribe�s casino revenue, are asking far more than the going property value. The Kickapoo are equally convinced that without the power of eminent domain from either the watershed board or the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the project will remain frozen in a deadlock."

Get the Story:
Editorial: A deadline should help (The St. Joseph News-Press 2/1)

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