November 14, 2016 at 3:45 PM - Regular Board of Directors Meeting

Rationale: 

NOTE: The agenda is on file at the LPNNRD office and may be changed up to 24 hours prior to the meeting as scheduled.

 

Rationale: 

Tabled motion from 9-12-16 - To offer tiling and Wetland Reserve Program options to landowners impacted by the Wanahoo Wetland contingent on receiving a hold harmless agreement before exploring other options.

Lausterer was asked to contact the three landowners (Gaughen, Murren and Stoeber) asking for a formal claim with a listing of damages they feel they are receiving.

Rationale: 

The Groundwater Management District Winter Conference will be in Ft. Worth Texas January 9-11 with a copy of the agenda attached to the Executive Committee Agenda.  In the past we have sent up to two directors and two staff the conference.

Rationale:  The National Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting will be held in Denver January 28 to February 1.  We normally allow attendance of up to two directors and two staff for conference.

Rationale:  The jointly held Nebraska Water Resources Association and Nebraska State Irrigation Association Annual Conference and Trade Show is November 20-22 in Kearney. See attached list of topics.  Please let staff know if you wish to attend so arrangements can be made.

Rationale:  The Newman Grove Science Class will give an update on the status of Shell Creek just prior to our November Board Meeting in Newman Grove.

Rationale:  The Great Plains RC&D is dissolving and has funds left in their treasury.  They would like LPNNRD to designate a 501(c)(3) group to receive close to $1,000 on our behalf.  The three groups that came to mind are; the Groundwater Foundation, Nebraska Land Trust and Lower Platte River Corridor Alliance.  We ask that the board designate where we would like these funds to go.

Rationale:  Attached find a request for dues from the National Association of Conservation Districts.  Most of the NRDs are paying $1,776 per year.

Rationale: 

Beginning October 15, 2016 Water Strategies is officially representing our needs in Washington D.C., a copy of the signed agreement is attached.  We held our first conference call on October 31 to review past projects and where each of the districts is headed with new projects.  We also received an update on the status of WRDA.

WRDA passed both the House and Senate just prior to the election break.  The versions were vastly different with the Senate approving a $10 billion plan (over the next 10 years) and the House a $3 billion plan.  No one is sure if a conference committee can agree on a final plan that must be approved prior to congress adjourning the session in December.

Also attached find the announcement of the addition of Steve Stockton to Water Strategies as an advisor on Corps issues.  We have worked with Stockton for several years as the Director of Civil Works at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (top civilian position at the Corps).  See attachment.

We have received the first billings from Water Strategies that need to be paid

Rationale:  Our last Recognition Banquet was held in June of 2015.  We need to make a decision if we wish to have a formal winter banquet, a summer picnic or not conduct a recognition ceremony.  The Executive Committee instructed that we have a recognition picnic similar to two years ago.  Plans will be made for a Sunday, June 4 recognition event with all past directors and staff being invited.

Rationale:  Attached find information from Cathy Dill the Dodge Count Treasurer informing us of a Tax Roll Correction.  The correction is for Shiv Hospitality Inc, was ordered by the TERC Board and will cost LPNNRD $234.35.

Rationale:  November 15 is the final day to register for the 2017 Water Leaders Academy.  We would need to know by the November board meeting if anyone is interested in attending.

Rationale: 

The two year retainer agreement for legal counsel expires just prior to our January 2017 board meeting.  (Copy attached)  Attached find a proposal for renewing the agreement.  The only noted change is an increase in monthly retainer fee from $450 to $500.  The remainder of the agreement is the same as the previous two year agreement.

Jovan noted to allow this submission to serve as the firms proposal should the district issue an RFP for legal services.

Rationale:  Attached find a comparison of Nebraska property taxes and Valuations between 2005 and 2015.

Rationale:  The Personnel sub-Committee is scheduled to meet immediately following the Executive Committee meeting on November 3.

Rationale:  We will not have financial reports to approve until after HBE 360 has entered all of our FY17 financial information in their system.

Rationale:  Each November we renew our $400,000 "Line of Credit" with Union Bank.

Rationale:  As part of the 2016 Annual Audit HBE has recommended that we update our Capitalization Policy by increasing the amounts.  These increases will have us expensing small expenditures rather than carrying them on a depreciation schedule. See attached draft policy.

Rationale:  We have received a bill from HBE for performing our June 30, 2016 Annual Audit in the amount of $21,410

Rationale:  Nothing to recount

Rationale:  There are no contract payments.

Rationale:  The O & M Crew assisted in the land judging event by shredding the area, digging the holes then filling, plus the event. Continue to cut out invasive trees at Czechland and Homestead. Sprayed 50 acres of grassland in the first phase of the grassland renovation at Homestead. Moved a gate for the landowner on Sand/Duck Creek dam 16. Sprayed a problem thistle area at Lake Wanahoo. Hauled sheet pile to Rawhide Ditch 8 for project repair.

Rationale:  Heimann met with Saunders County regarding a parking area off of County Road O for wildlife viewing at Wanahoo.  The County will replace the existing culvert, clean out the ditch for proper drainage and use the material to build up the parking area. Anticipating it to be done this fall.

Rationale: 

Dan Ourada has paid the District $4,376.84 for 84.17 tons of hay taken from Czechland.

The tree removal contractor has not started.

Staff filled the geo-web on the east shoreline with gabion rock. See attached photos. We also need to add some rock to the handicap jetty to help prevent erosion under the sidewalk. Also, rip-rap on each side of the boat ramp at Homestead Lake.

Rationale:  The District is obtaining two informal bids from two contractors on the Paul Gifford drive with a culvert.  With the two bids, the City of Fremont and the NRD will negotiate a settlement on this issue. Gifford did not accept the previous offer of $39,503 for a 90' culvert made by the District and Fremont.  If not resolved at a proper price for construction, the District and Fremont may contract it out ourselves.

Rationale:  Meduna Family Farms on the late cutting harvested 155.9 tons of hay, paying the District $7,016.09. Both cuttings generated $14,245.79 from the Lake Wanahoo property.

Rationale: 

The Lake Wanahoo Lake Level Advisory Committee will meet on Thursday, November 10 at 5:00 pm at the Lower Platte North NRD office.

It was stated that an Engineering Firm attend the Advisory Committee meetings.  Who do we want to have attend - FYRA Engineering with experience in hydrology and structural or Olssons with experience in the 408 application process.  Both firms will charge an hourly rate.

Rationale:  Heimann has put together a narrative of post construction deficiencies (attached) on the Seven Sand/Duck Creek dams and sent it to the Corp of Engineers asking for assistance in correcting them.  The COE has responded with an explanation (attached) of why it is not their responsibility, or that it's built to specs, or it's an O & M issue for the District. Staff will send a rebut to their response.

Rationale:  The Corps of Engineers has organized a Non-Federal partners meeting for Thursday, November 10 at 9:00 a.m. in the Fremont City Counsel Chambers. The COE will update us on the study and tell us how we will proceed with a public meeting most likely after the first of the year.

Rationale:  John Deere has offered the District a rental agreement for the 2017 season.  They will rent a John Deere 8245R to the District for $3,500 not to exceed 200 hours.  This is the same price as the current rental agreement.

Rationale:  The contract with Olsson Associates to monitor the Lake Wanahoo Dam relief wells and piezometers has expired.  An amendment to the contract is attached to monitor the dam this fall at the contracted price of $1,363.92.  A new contract will be developed with Olsson Associate beginning in 2017. 

Rationale:  Mead Public Schools has submitted a request for $1,000 to plant trees north of the high school. (See attachment)  They are replacing an old Scotch Pine windbreak that was taken by Pine Wilt Disease. They will have Kasper Landscaping do the work.  Currently, they are in the process of taking out the old trees.  Total project cost estimate is $12,510.

Rationale:  The previous months approval of David Marshall was inspected by Heimann & Mountford and found in compliance.

Rationale: 

The Public Hearing for the Districts revised Erosion & Sediment Rules & Regulations was opened at 8:15 a.m. at the Lower Platte North NRD office on Wednesday, November 2. There were no public comments and the hearing closed at 8:30 a.m.

The revised Erosion & Sediment Rules & Regulations will be approved by our board of directors, forwarded to the Department of Natural Resources who sends them to the Commissioners for review before their December 12th meeting.  With approval from the Natural Resource Commission the document is then sent to the Director of the Dept. of Natural Resources for his signature.

Rationale: 

The KTIC Radio Ad for November will focus on the fertilizer application report deadlines.  This month’s Wahoo Newspaper eAd will promote the abandoned well program.  The ads are attached.

Rationale: 

The 2016 East Central Region Land Judging Contest was held on October 12^th.  177 students from 13 FFA chapters participated. The number of individual registrations was similar to previous years, but the number of FFA chapters participating has increased.  LPNNRD sent $354 to the chairman of the state land judging committee for student registrations.

The individual and team results are attached.  23 students qualified for the state competition on October 26th.  These students represented Mead, East Butler, Raymond Central, Norris, and Milford.  

Rationale: 

We received a donation request from the Schuyler FFA for their tree seedling project.  The FFA Chapter (50 students) has been collecting and storing a variety of locally sourced seeds (acorns, walnuts, etc.) and will begin planting in the spring.  Initial costs will be the purchase of propagation trays and flats for spring planting ($300 ).  These will be transferred to #1 nursery containers ($350).  The chapter has not officially decided what to do with the trees.  They have discussed selling to the community, planting in public spaces around town, or possibly providing them to rural landowners in the area.  

Rationale: 

Construction will begin for the tee pads for the Nature Education Trail/Disc Golf Course.    Attached is an invoice from Arps Red-E-Mix for concrete.  The invoice indicates the price for one cubic yard.  The project requires 6 cubic yards.  

Rationale:  We are meeting with Neil (Phoenix Group) this afternoon for an update and review of their work on our remote meter reading project.  If everything works out as planned, we will be able to remote read all meters daily and create individual usage reports as needed.

Rationale: 

All meters were read and bills are being mailed today.  Scheduled samples have been drawn and submitted to the State for analysis.

Meter pit has been installed, line ran and main tapped for new customer service on Colon line.  

Staff has assisted two Colon customers with tracing water leaks on customer side of meter.

Quarterly sewer rate reimbursement has been submitted to village of Colon.

New accounting firm, ADP, now has access to our billing software and will be able to generate needed monthly reports related to the Colon line.

Rationale: 

All meters were read and bills are being mailed today.  Scheduled samples have been drawn and submitted to the State for analysis.

 

New accounting firm, ADP, now has access to our billing software and will be able to generate needed monthly reports related to the Bruno line.

Rationale: 

No unfinished business from the September 28, 2016 Water Committee.

 

Rationale: 

No updates.

 

Rationale: 

No updates

 

Rationale: 

The Martin Erickson variance request (which is within one mile of the border with the Hydrologically Connected Area (HCA)) was to be further reviewed before possible approval.  This land ranked high enough for consideration with other variance requests in the HCA.

Staff presented information about the geology in the area and described the variance policy on irrigation in the restricted development area.

A large audience was in attendance and they submitted a petition stating opposition to the LPNNRD granting an irrigation well permit in Section 20, T14N, R7E (see attached).  Much discussion followed.  

Rationale: 

Two new permits were approved since the last Committee meeting.

Landowner	Number Of Wells	Number Of New Irrigated Acres	Type Of Well	County	Subarea
Robert Rausch	1	0	Replacement (Aquaculture)	Colfax	North Bend
Scott Sukstorf	1	97	Irrigation (Approved Variance)	Saunders	Todd Valley

 

 

 

 

 

 

The total number of approved permits for 2016 is 17.

Location of Approved Well Permits for 2016:  Correct as of 9/27/2016

County	Irrigation -New	Irrigation -Replacement	Stock	Commercial	Municipal	Other	Total
Butler	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Colfax	0	1	0	0	0	1	2
Dodge	0	3	0	0	0	4	7
Boone	1	1	0	0	0	0	2
Madison	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Platte	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Saunders	2	2	1	0	0	1	6
Total	3	7	1	0	0	6	17

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rationale:  William Becker has submitted an application for a new well to irrigate 0 new acres in the NE 1/4 of Section 13-T22N-R6W, Upper Newman Grove Subarea, Boone County. Attached is the log for well G-044901, which he is currently using to irrigate the 230 acre farm. The new well will be used to irrigate the east 80 acres while the existing well will continue to be used to irrigate the west 150 acres. Attached is also a section map for the legal description listed above. The green line on the map represents an approved variance. Variance # LPN-V-011-0095 was approved as an expansion from an existing well in 2011, but he wants this new supplemental well so he can keep up with his irrigation.

Rationale: 

Butler - Saunders SQS (SQS #1)

There are 30 irrigation wells in this area.  25 of these have a flow meter; the other five wells were not used in 2016.  Only eight flow meter reporting forms have been returned so far.

 

Platte - Colfax SQS (SQS #2)

Staff has continued checking flow meters and measuring water levels.  Flow meter cost-share applications continue to be received in the mail each day. 

Flow meter reporting forms are also being returned – 123 have been received so far.

 

Rationale: 

Request for Proposals for our Flow Meter Maintenance Program were sent out in early October with a deadline of November 1st.  Requests were sent to area irrigation supply companies, meter companies, well drillers and pump installers.

We have received replies from three companies and these are shown below.  With at total of ~330 sites for both SQS areas and inspected once every four years, that works out to ~83 inspections per year.

Companies	Cost per Site Visit	Cost for 83 Wells
McCrometer	$50	$4,150
Tri-City Meters	$55	$4,565
Marx Repair	$75	$6,225

The Committee took no formal action, but asked staff to contact these companies for a price breakdown in replacement parts.

 

Rationale: 

The Board of Directors meeting was held on October 17, 2016 at LLNRD in Ord.  The main topic was the draft plan for Basin wide water accounting and allowable new water uses within the Basin.  The table below is based on water flow at Louisville.  This is based on water flow thru 2012.  Talking with HDR representatives, any expansion since that time may have to be taken into account as part of the First 5 year Increment.

 

Basin	Average Peak Season, Excess Supply (acre-feet)	First 5 year Increment, Allowable Development (Peak Season) (acre-feet)
Full Basin	194,843	19,484
Loup Basin (44% BWS)	85,171	8,517
Elkhorn Basin (32% BWS)	61,960	6,196
Lower Platte Basin (23% BWS)	47,712	4,771

 

The Lower Platte sub-basins water allotment of 4,771 acre feet in the first 5 year increment, would be divided between LPN, LPS, and Papio NRD's.  This has yet to be negotiated. 

 

Rationale: 

The latest Stakeholder meeting was held on October 5, 2016 and only three stakeholders showed up.

DNR wants to make some changes to the V-IMP so it is under further review.  The final plan may not be approved until early next year.

 

Rationale: 

Requests for 347 irrigation kits have been received.  Ten of these kits haven’t yet been used – letters for these have been mailed to producers.  Producers have collected 73 water sample since Labor Day.  All sample results have been mailed to producers.

 

Rationale: 

For this Water Committee, we have a total of 25 cost-share applications that have been reviewed and are ready for approval (see attached sheet).

- 24 applications for 8" meters or 24 x $770 = $18,480

- 1 application for a 6" meter or 1 x $577 = $577

- For a total of $19,057

Rationale: 

As of October 28, 2016, we have received a total of 101 applications.  Several of these still need to be inspected to insure that the meter is installed properly.  Some questions have arisen so the LPNNRD needs to establish a priority ranking system for funding these applications.

1) Do we fund flow meters that should have already been installed when the well permit was issued?  This well permit requirement applied to all new and replacement wells.  Well permit issued between October 1, 2005 and May 8, 2008 the LPN required time totalizer or flow meter.  Well permit issued after May 8, 2008 we required flow meter.

2) A couple of these applications are within one mile of the SQS area.  (One application is at least 6 miles from the SQS #2 area).

3) One application has two meters off of one well.  Do we just cost share on one or establish a minimum acre size for a flow meter?  Recall we had a question like this a couple of months ago for a gravity corner system on ~5 acres.

Water Committee members felt that #1 (meters already purchased before the SQS areas were declared) could be funded if these have not already received LPNNRD cost share through another program.

 

Rationale: 

2016 is the fourteenth year for this Phase 2 Area.  Phase 2 information packets with order were mailed to producers in June, before the start of irrigation.

This area was reduced from 32 sections to 21 sections in 2015.

Year	Nitrate-Nitrogen Range	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 0 To 8.0 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 8.01 To 10.00 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen Greater Than 10 Ppm
2015	0 to 32.3 ppm	43% (31 of 72)	8% (6 of 72)	49% (35 of 72)
2016	0 to 35.1 ppm	34% (25 of 73)	11% (8 of 73)	55% (40 of 73)

 

  

Rationale: 

2016 is the first year of this Phase 2 Area.  There are 45 registered active irrigation wells in the ten sections of this new area.

Year	Nitrate-Nitrogen Range	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 0 To 8.0 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 8.01 To 10.00 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen Greater Than 10 Ppm
2016	1.47 to 41.8 ppm	30% (9 of 30)	7% (2 of 30)	63% (19 of 30)

 

 

Rationale: 

2016 is the first year of this Phase 3 Area.  This Phase 3 area went into effect September 1, 2015.  The 55 sections of this area first went into a Phase 2 Area in 2004.  

Year	Nitrate-Nitrogen Range	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 0 To 8.0 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen 8.01 To 10.00 Ppm	Percent Nitrate-Nitrogen Greater Than 10 Ppm
2015	0 to 53.3 ppm	23% (55 of 238)	12% (29 of 238)	65% (154 of 238)
2016	0 to 50.5 ppm	24.6% (55 of 224)	9.8% (22 of 224)	65.6% (147 of 224)

 

 

Rationale: 

No test requests were received in October.

Rationale: 

Steve Gehring currently has two pivots in 11-19-1W that are Acre Certified (see attached). He would like to reconfigure the fields so the pivot that currently spins ¾ in the NW ¼ makes a full circle and to swing the existing pivot in SW ¼, NW ¼, and NW ¼, SW ¼ so that it only covers a portion of the NW ¼, SW ¼. This would result in a gain of 3.14 acres in irrigation. This is under the 4.9 that we usually allow without question, but because this is within an SQS area it requires further scrutiny.  Mr. Gehring would like to request he be granted the 3.14 acres of additional irrigation so that he may make more efficient use of the big pivot.

 

Rationale: 

For 2016 we have 478 renewals and 95 new permit applications for a current total of 573.  In 2015 we had a total of 515 chemigation permits.

 

The breakdown by County for the Total Number of Renewals (478) within the LPNNRD.

County	Number of Renewals
Boone	50
Butler	64
Colfax	23
Dodge	86
Madison	6
Platte	81
Saunders	168

 

The breakdown by county of the number of 138 renewal inspections completed.

County	Number of Renewal Inspections Completed
Boone	15
Butler	20
Colfax	5
Dodge	21
Madison	1
Platte	28
Saunders	48

 

The breakdown, by county for the 95 new chemigation permit applications, are listed below:

County	New Chemigation Applications
Boone	5
Butler	14
Colfax	11
Dodge	13
Madison	0
Platte	12
Saunders	40

Three landowners cancelled their new chemigation permits.

 

 

Rationale:  The LPNNRD has received one livestock permit applications from DEQ since the last Water Committee meeting.

Name	Livestock	Type of Permit	Legal Description	County
Wilke Farms	Swine 1,660 head 664 A.U.	Update of Nutrient Management Plan	SE, Section 1, T19N, R1E	Platte

 

 

Wilke Farms: Change in manure application sites

 

Rationale: 

Four new wells has been reviewed and approved by Gottschalk for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.

 

Rationale: 

One well has been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.

Well Owner	Type of Well	Cost Share Estimate	County
St. John’s Lutheran Church	Domestic	$981.15	Platte

This domestic well had a 24 inch casing and 50 ft. deep.

Rationale: 

AEM Flights in the SQS areas and the Water Sustainability Fund

Staff has sent in our first reimbursement request to DNR for our WSF grant to do the AEM helicopter flights in the our SQS areas.  This reimbursement request combines our first two invoices from Aqua-Geo Frameworks for a total of $199,999.80 (see table below).

		First Reimbursement Request	Amount Remaining in Grant
Total Project Cost	$ 416,666.00	$ 333,333.00	$ 83,333.00
WSF Grant Request of 60%	$ 250,000.00	$ 199,999.80	$ 50,000.20
LPNNRD Match of 40%	$ 166,666.00	$ 133,333.20	$ 33,332.80

 

 

 

Rationale: 

The Lower Platte River Consortium Agreement is attached.  This study will assist with drought planning by looking at potential water storage sites, river flow augmentation sites, groundwater storage sites, etc. and the ability of the Platte River to convey water downstream for municipal, and other users.

The cost to the LPNNRD will be $14,850 for this fiscal year.

Rationale: 

Phoenix is still working on the remote reading of our Swedeburg monitoring well.  Phoenix is doing this as part of a pilot study and therefore it is no charge to the LPNNRD.

 

Rationale: 

Staff have started measuring the Fall ground water energy levels.  In many areas the measurements have been up from last fall and some even up over last spring.  So far the exceptions appear to be the David City Subarea and the Platte Valley wells north of the river, which seem to be down from last fall.  Staff is currently working on the Platte Valley and still needs to do the Shell Creek aquifers.

Attached is the precipitation map of rainfall to date for 2016 from the High Plains Regional Climate Center

 

Rationale: 

The 2017 annual GMDA Conference will be held in Ft. Worth Texas on January 9 - 11, 2017.  See attached flyer.

 

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  Darrell Umscheid     Diversion     $  507.45

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  None

Rationale: 

Payments:

Mary Jo Spicka     Terraces/tile          $ 7,381.32

Robert Hedges     Lands for Cons.     $ 6,992.00

                  TOTAL:                         $ 14,373.32

Rationale:  NDEQ is making final inputs as requested by EPA.  We are hopeful to get final approval in a week or two. EPA was having a hang up on the rotation of priority watersheds.  They are fine with focusing Section 319 funds on the stream and tributary corridor, but want other funding sources to support the upland work in the priority sub-watersheds.

It appears that EPA is accepting the following compromise:

1. Increase the width of the stream corridor from 1,000 feet to 1,500 feet (total 3,000 feet) and limit expenditure of Section 319 funds to Best Management Practices installed in the corridor.  This will shift Section 319 funds more toward structural practices [oxbow connections, stream stabilization and retention ponds (e.g., road structures)] and exclusion fencing and pasture management.  It will also accommodate fields with 1/4 miles rows so we don’t have to split eligibility within large fields.
2. Retain the priority sub-watersheds and rotation schedule, but limit practice funding to sources other than Section 319 funds.
3. Retain match eligibility for non-federal funds expended for practices installed in the sub-watersheds.
4. Retain wellhead protection areas as special priority areas for Section 319 eligibility.
5. Retain eligibility for upgrade of on-site waste water treatment systems as a watershed-wide practice.
6. Retain outreach as a watershed wide practice/activity.

Rationale:  Attached is the 9/30/2016, $1,250 invoice that was paid to JEO for contract work in the Wahoo Creek Watershed.  To date, $95,900 of their $120,000 total contract has been paid.  Since much of the remaining contract work will not be completed under Phase I, we have shifted the focus to payments on land treatment contracts to landowner.  Phase I will be finished in March, 2017.

Rationale: 

On October 18th, Miyoshi and Mountford met with the managers and assistant managers at LPSNRD and PMRNRD to discuss the future of the LPRCA.  With Meghan Sittler's resignation, it was decided to wait until all three NRD's have an opportunity to regroup and discuss how or what partners want to continue in the future before a new coordinator is hired.  As you know, LPNNRD is presently a non-dues paying member but is participating with three previous commitments.   The next scheduled LPRCA quarterly meeting is set for 10:00 a.m. at the Papio Missouri River NRD.

Last week we were informed that Corps Headquarters is moving forward to include the Lower Platte River Watershed Restoration in the President's Budget. This is the authority that the Alliance has been working to get approved for 10 years which will provide funding opportunities for conservation work in the Lower Platte Watershed (see attachment).

SEC. 5104. LOWER PLATTE RIVER WATERSHED RESTORATION, NEBRASKA.

(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary may cooperate with and provide assistance to the Lower Platte River natural resources districts in the State of Nebraska to serve as non-Federal interests with respect to— (1) conducting comprehensive watershed planning in the natural resource districts; (2) assessing water resources in the natural resource districts; and (3) providing project feasibility planning, design, and construction assistance for water resource and watershed management in the natural resource districts, including projects for environmental restoration and flood damage reduction.

(b) FUNDING.— (1) FEDERAL SHARE.—The Federal share of the cost of carrying out an activity described in subsection (a)(1) shall be 75 percent. (2) NON-FEDERAL SHARE.—The non-Federal share of the cost of carrying out an activity described in subsection (a) may be provided in cash or in kind. 

(c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary to carry out this section $12,000,000. 

Rationale:  The Corps of Engineers has organized a Non-Federal partners meeting for Thursday, November 10 at 9:00 a.m. in the Fremont City Counsel Chambers. The COE will update us on the study and tell us how we will proceed with a public meeting most likely after the first of the year.

Rationale:  On October 27th, Mountford and Heimann participated in a conference call with the Army COE (attachment) to discuss remaining tasks as the Shell Creek Levee Project is wrapping up. Finial tasks include sediment removal, grading, shaping, and seeding of the south drainage ditch of Highway 30 eastward from Drainage and completion of the Operation and Maintenance Manual.  

1.  Ditch Clean out plans and specs - JEO has been working diligently in the preparation of plans and specs for the ditch clean out.  Coordination has occurred with the COE.  Plans and specs were sent for review to the COE and NDOR on Oct 26^th.  Award of a contract is targeted for November 11. Weather permitting, the work will be completed this fall.  The COE will provide comment on the plans and specs. One comment to be aware of is that a note needs to be added to the plans not to disturb existing drainage structures to address any concern related to the drainage structure No. 1 being impacted.
2.   O & M Manual Status -The Draft Final O&M Manual has been sent to the Schuyler, LPNNRD, NDOR and Union Pacific on CD’s. Comments have been requested to be submitted by November 18^th to the COE.  All are encouraged to closely review the drawing for accuracy.  The O&M Manual goes into effect when the project is turned over.  It will be approved before the project is turned over. Once turned over the sponsor would coordinate with the Readiness Branch who will oversee the project. Inspections will be completed by the Missouri River Project Office.  

Rationale:  No new information was presented.

Rationale:  Platte Center has completed the latest phase of their Elm Creek Bank Stabilization Project and is requesting $11,357 (50% assistance) reimbursement on their $22,714 total invoice as attached.  The Board previously approved 50% assistance up to $11,715 toward this project phase. 

Rationale: 

NOTE: The agenda is on file at the LPNNRD office and may be changed up to 24 hours prior to the meeting as scheduled.