diff --git a/spack/package.py b/spack/package.py
index d4c910df..b1662479 100644
--- a/spack/package.py
+++ b/spack/package.py
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 variant_map = {
     "netcdf3": "USE_NETCDF3",
     "netcdf4": "USE_NETCDF4",
-    "netcdf": "USE_NETCDF",
     "spectral": "USE_SPECTRAL",
     "mysql": "USE_MYSQL",
     "udf": "USE_UDF",
@@ -85,10 +84,6 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
     variant(
         "netcdf4", default=False, description="Link in netcdf4 library to write netcdf3/4 files"
     )
-    variant(
-        "netcdf", default=False, description="Link in netcdf library to write netcdf3/4 files new"
-    )
-
     variant(
         "ipolates",
         default=False,
@@ -153,16 +148,12 @@ def url_for_version(self, version):
     variant("enable_docs", default=False, description="Build doxygen documentation", when="@3.4.0:")
 
     conflicts("+netcdf3", when="+netcdf4")
-    conflicts("+netcdf3", when="+netcdf")
-    conflicts("+netcdf4", when="+netcdf")
     conflicts("+openmp", when="%apple-clang")
 
     depends_on("wget", type=("build"), when="@:3.1 +netcdf4")
-    depends_on("wget", type=("build"), when="@:3.1 +netcdf")
     depends_on("ip@5.1:", when="@develop +ipolates")
     depends_on("libaec@1.0.6:", when="@3.2: +aec")
     depends_on("netcdf-c", when="@3.2: +netcdf4")
-    depends_on("netcdf-c", when="@3.2: +netcdf")
     depends_on("jasper@:2", when="@3.2: +jasper")
     depends_on("zlib-api", when="+png")
     depends_on("libpng", when="+png")
@@ -241,14 +232,6 @@ def build(self, pkg, spec, prefix):
                 os.system(
                     "wget https://support.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/releases/hdf5-1.12/hdf5-1.12.1/src/hdf5-1.12.1.tar.gz"
                 )
-        if self.spec.satisfies("+netcdf"):
-            with working_dir(self.build_directory):
-                os.system(
-                    "wget https://downloads.unidata.ucar.edu/netcdf-c/4.8.1/netcdf-c-4.8.1.tar.gz"
-                )
-                os.system(
-                    "wget https://support.hdfgroup.org/ftp/HDF5/releases/hdf5-1.12/hdf5-1.12.1/src/hdf5-1.12.1.tar.gz"
-                )
 
         make()