December 1, 2016 at 8:00 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  No unfinished business to discuss.

Rationale:  Gottschaulk presented the updated SWCP Spreadsheet as attached to the Projects Committee Minutes. 

Rationale: 

Larry Muhle         Colfax Co.           Emergency Terrace/Basin Repair     $ 1,000.00

 

Rationale: 

15-B-5     William Perk     Terraces/Tile     $ 11,408.59

 

Rationale:  None

Rationale: 

Nebraska Buffer Strip Program 2016 Payments

 

Charles Barjenbruch            9.5 acres                   $     229.24  
James Barjenbruch             13 acres                    $     341.77
Lavaine Gaskill                    5.5 acres                   $     155.38
Hill Valley Farms                 16.5 acres                 $  3,712.50
Rodney Julsen                     23.1 acres                 $  5,197.50
Ed Luetkenhaus                   4 acres                      $     900.00
Francis Shanle                     9.5 acres                   $     247.00
Ronald Anderson                12.9 acres                   $     759.93
Tom Sprunk                        15.4 acres                  $  3,465.00

                              TOTAL 2016 PAYMENTS:  $  15,008.32

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  Ed Sladky        Septic System upgrade     $ 3,300.00

Rationale:  NRCS District Conservationist, Mark Walkenhorst and Jami Thoene were present to discuss some suggested changes to our Soil and Water Conservation Program.   Attached is our Policy showing Mark's and Jami's suggested changes which would allow small project applicants to apply directly for LPNNRD funding instead of first applying for federal EQIP funds.  By allowing small projects to by-pass the EQIP application process, it will help NRCS operate more efficiently as these small projects applications generally do not rank out high enough for EQIP assistance but require as much work to evaluate as a large project.

Rationale: 

 

Rationale: 

NDEQ has notified us that EPA has approved the Shell Creek Environmental Enhancement Plan Implementation. This is a long awaited huge step as we can now move forward with completing four designed creek bank and tributary stabilization projects.  

The largest of the designed group of project ("Kramer Bank Stabilization Project") which is to stabilize the Shell Creek bank located near Colfax County's bridge (C001901915) on County road 10, just north of road H.  We just learned that the Army Corp's of Engineers has issued the 404 permit to proceed.  We have a planning meeting with NDEQ at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, December 8, 2016, at the Columbus NRCS Office, to discuss next steps.  We have about $145,000 of approved NET grant funds and it appears that will could have another $100,000 - $150,000 available from NDEQ to assist with these projects.  Hopefully we can get all four projects constructed in 2017. 

 

Rationale: 

Mountford has been working with NDEQ on completing a Project Implementation Plan for Wahoo Creek Watershed Water Quality Plan Phase II.  As you may recall, we have $106,000 approved from the Nebraska Environmental Trust and are working to increase our initial $168,215 grant approval from NDEQ to $265,950. These funds will be combined with LPNNRD and Saunders County funds to hopefully build at least three multi-purpose road dams in the Wahoo Creek Watershed.  One of the many benefits of these dams will be flood reduction.  Mountford met with Saunders County Road Superintendent Steve Mika on November 29 to inspect several potential road dam sites.   Other grant and EQIP funds will be used to help complete landowner conservation practices during this project phase. 

Rationale: 

Miyoshi and Mountford attended the November 15th quarterly LPRCA meeting at Papio NRD.  A  meeting has been scheduled at the Army National Guard Camp at Ashland on February 24, 2017, with Board members from LPNNRD, LPSNRD and PMRNRD to discuss the future of the LPRCA.   As you know, we are presently a non-dues paying member, but involved with a few prior commitments.  As discussed last month, one of biggest topics for continuing with the Alliance is the opportunity with the upcoming Army Corp's of Engineers Lower Platte River new Watershed Restoration Authority.  This authority may lead to new federal funding opportunities for various projects in the Lower Platte River Watershed.  Another topic that was mentioned was the importance of completing the LPRCA Water Quality Plan that has been underway for a couple years.

After the Projects Committee Meeting, Dave Potter, LPSNRD Assistant Manager, sent the attached November 15^th LPRCA minutes which note that NDEQ is willing to provide a grant for $17,225  (50%)  to help with the total cost of $34,450 to complete the LPRCA Water Quality Management Plan. The remaining $17,225 will need to be a non-Federal match which is proposed to be divided three ways by LPSNRD, PMRNRD and LPNNRD.  The expected cost to each of the three NRDs to complete this effort would be $5,741.67.

To date, LPNNRD has been an equal partner on completing this plan, that when finished, will encompass the majority of our district that is not covered by our Shell Creek and Wahoo Creek Water Quality Plans.  This would only leave about the eastern 1/3 of Dodge County in LPNNRD that would not be uncovered by a plan.   As we have witnessed with completing our Wahoo Creek and Shell Creek Watershed Water Quality plans, opportunities emerged for receiving state and federal funding assistance from NDEQ and NET for various priority projects.  

We have been asked that at this topic be discussed at our December 12th Board meeting  to know if we will continue to be equal partners with LPSNRD and PMRNRD to complete the LPRCA Watershed Water Quality Plan and provide up to $5,741.67 toward this effort.

 

Rationale: 

The Corps of Engineers and our non-federal partners met on Nov. 10 in Fremont. The COE has informed us that the cost of the project is now estimated to be over $150 million causing the cost benefit ration to go below 1:1. The Corps has stated the best way to ensure federal funding is to have a ratio of 1-1.5:1. By the Corps estimates the project cost would have to be around $90 to be 1:1. It will be difficult to cut $60-65 million from the current design.

FYRA Engineering has performed a Hydrological and Flood Frequency Analysis on the Platte River for the Papio NRD from the Louisville area to the confluence of the Missouri River. As part of this study, the previous flood frequency analyses were investigated to ascertain the nature of the large divergence in the most recent flood frequency analysis. They are estimating that discharges are of lesser value which in turn could affect the entire Platte River corridor, therefore affecting the Fremont Study.  FYRA suggests a two-step approach; first we have to spend 3-4 days to figure out if the number is wrong.  This involves data/report review, model and gage analysis.  If we do find that the number is wrong, it will take another 3-4 days to calculate the new number…so each step w/ Bob’s time would be conservatively estimated at 32 hours at $125/hr = $4,000.00.

The potential benefit is huge.  The summary of the work we did on the Platte River study pertaining to the Louisville gage analysis and this was reviewed and accepted by the USACE and we are now working w/ FEMA, but they have seen it and know it’s coming.  If we can get a similar reduction in the Fremont area, what Bob says is now some very shallow flow depths in the project area may be able to be reduced to significantly narrow up the floodplain/floodway width.  While he has not looked specifically in this area yet, Bob is confident that since this was all done as part of the same study, we are likely to see similar errors from the study in the Fremont area as well…

We will also look at the seasonal vs. annual discharges.  If we were able to use the annual discharge the reduction would have been even greater.

Our non-federal partners would like to meet and discuss all the above situations.

Rationale:  Kohl Construction from Schuyler has been hired to preform the highway ditch cleaning contract.

Rationale:  Director Bailey reported that the project has received a no-rise certificate and are now waiting for levee height information from the Army COE before proceeding. 

Rationale:  No new business to report.  We are still waiting for the completed operations and maintenance manual from the Army Corp's of Engineers which is due by the end of the year.

Rationale:  With no further business, the Projects Committee adjourned at 9:10 a.m.