March 2, 2017 at 8:00 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  There is no unfinished business to report.

Rationale:  Gottschalk review the attached SWCP spreadsheet with the committee.

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  None

Rationale:  I will have additional Wahoo Creek approvals for you at the board meeting.  We are totaling the remaining funds available from the Phase I 319 grant and will be approving work to close out the balance.

Rationale: 

Douglas Kavan     Conservation work     $ 3,339.14

Rationale:  Once again is attached the draft SWCP Policy for committee review.  Final input for changes will be presented at the March 30, 2017 Projects Committee for approval at the April 10, 2017 Board Meeting. 

Rationale:  Attached is the last invoice for $443.92 toward our $15,000 commitment to design the Kramer Shell Creek Bank Stabilization Project.  We are hoping to begin construction on the Kramer Bank Stabilization Project this spring.  We met with Elbert Traylor, NDEQ,  and Colfax County Engineer Mark Mainelli on February 22 to discuss project funding and construction timelines. 

Rationale:  As you know, we have been assisting Newman Grove High School's Science Club for many years with helping purchase water testing supplies and equipment for their Shell Creek monitoring efforts.  We have received their request for help with purchasing supplies and equipment for the 2017 sampling season.  While the final cost were not exactly known at the time of the committee meeting, it is estimated the total will not exceed $1,300. Since then we have received the actual estimate of 1,126.73 as attached to the Projects Committee Minutes.

Rationale:  On February 22, Miyoshi, Mountford, and Janel Kaufman from FYRA met with NRCS to discuss paperwork requirements needed for completing an RCPP agreement for Wahoo Creek Dam Sites 26 and 27.   As mentioned, NRCS has agreed to contribute up to $1.5 million (approximately 50%) on the total estimated $3 million cost for completing these two dams.  We will continue to work with NRCS on a finial agreement to bring to the Board by July, 2017. 

Rationale:  As directed by the Board, last month FYRA Engineering presented a proposed scope of work for updating the Wahoo Creek Watershed Plan for Sites 26 and 27 as required by NRCs for our approved Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Attached is a contract proposal from FYRA for completing this work.  Committee recommendation for approval is requested.

Rationale: 

We are wrapping up the Wahoo Creek Watershed Water Quality Phase I grant with NDEQ which involved completing Wahoo Creek plan priority analysis with JEO and landowner conservation practices including lands for conservation contract payment.  We will have received $250,000 from NDEQ and received another $115,000 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.  In addition, NRCS provided at lease another $1.5 million in special Water Quality Initiative EQIP funds to landowners during the Phase I period. 

As part of wrapping up Phase I, we have received a final $354 invoice, as attached, from JEO that is part of an approved contract. While there is $23,746 remaining for unfinished work under this contract, this work (establish stream monitoring sites) will not be completed by JEO under Phase I.   These unused contract funds have been allocated toward landowner conservation projects and programs. 

 

 

Rationale:  We met with NDEQ and Saunders County on February 22, 2017, to discuss funding and timelines for implementing the Wahoo Creek Watershed Water Quality Plan Phase II.  NDEQ is completing a Project Implementation Plan to contribute $400,000 for constructing several road dams (to replace old bridges) that will provide water quality and flood reduction benefits, lands for conservation and education in the Wahoo Creek Watershed.  This funding will be combined with $106,000 of Nebraska Environmental Trust Funds and local match from LPNNRD and Saunders County to complete project priorities.  

Rationale:  The LPRCA Quarterly Meeting/Planning Retreat was held on February 24, 2017, at the National Guard Camp near Ashland.  This meeting had several partner representatives present to discuss the future of the LPRCA. LPNNRD Directors Bob Clausen, Lon Olson, Jim McDermott, Don Veskerna were present along with LPNNRD staff, Miyoshi, Heimann and Mountford.  Most the planning discussion revolved around how the LPRCA has been structured in the past, what projects it has been involved with and what could be changed to keep all three NRD partners together.  While most partners present supported staying in the Alliance, there was varying opinions on how this should be done.  At the LPNNRD Directors Retreat, it was clear that there was little support for continuing with a full time LPRCA coordinator.  Other partners at the planning meeting supported the need for a full time coordinator, so there was discussion on how the Alliance would be structured with only two NRD's contributing for a coordinator.  Each NRD Board will need to make a decision on this matter in the upcoming weeks.  The Projects Committee discussed their continued thoughts about our future LPRCA partnership and will share their thoughts with the full Board.  

Rationale: 

Narrative from Mike Sotak (first two paragraphs).

The majority of the look at the hydrologic records is near completion. The gage and subsequent skew analysis indicates that the design discharge could potentially be modified from 132k to somewhere between 104k and 114k cfs.  The skew analysis would support a design discharge as low as 104k cfs (a 21.2% reduction), but some more aggressive arguments need to be made regarding skew. We are doing a preliminary analysis of the ice jam magnitude to ensure this will not dramatically change the numbers above. This will not provide the entire ice jam analysis required, but will give us confidence in these assessments.

The bottom line is that the news is good…we feel that this is close to the right answer. As the COE mentioned during the discussion in Fremont, the flood stage due to ice jams causes a significant amount of the flooding potential that the levees are designed to protect against.  If after this work, you are comfortable with our analysis, we can discuss next steps which would include the ice jam assessment.  We do feel that there are several differences in approach that we would take as compared with what the COE has done.

We will also have to look at the big picture and include Schuyler and North Bend some time, there is some question as to how to go about this politically.

Rationale:  The Army Corp's of Engineers have completed a  1446 page operation and maintenance manual for the completed Shell Creek Levee.  It has always been understood that the operation and maintenance of this project is the responsibility of the City of Schuyler.  To clarify this responsibility between the local partners, we will be working toward forming an interlocal agreement with Schuyler to outline this responsibility.  

Rationale:  Attached is the 2016 NRCS report for approved Environmental Quality Improvement Practice (EQIP) contracts approved in each NRD.  In 2016, LPNNRD had 110 landowner contracts approved totaling $1.734 million that involve 137,165 acres. Very impressive numbers indeed!

Rationale:  The Projects committee is asked to review and discuss the portions of the Long Range Plan that are overseen by the committee.  The O, E, & RW committee will forward a recommendation for Board approval of the plan.

Rationale:  It was reported that the annual NRCS/NRD Local Work Group Meeting is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., Thursday, March 2, 2017, at the LPNNRD office in Wahoo.  The purpose of the meeting is to evaluate local resource concerns and make recommendations for the 2017 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) conservation incentive payments administered by NRCS.  Committee members were encouraged to attend.

Rationale: 

The GPS survey equipment that we purchased 6 or 7 years ago for LPNNRD/NRCS use is outdated and requires costly repairs. This equipment has been used by LPNNRD and NRCS technicians for layout and design of landowner conservation practices.  The equipment originally cost approximately $72,000 which was shared by NRCS (50%), LPNNRD (25%) and the Shell Creek Watershed improvement Group (25%). The equipment is at the point of needing  replacement with an updated version.  It has been discussed that there may be the possibility for LPNNRD to give ownership of this old equipment to NRCS.  In turn, they would upgrade the equipment at no cost to LPNNRD.  Since our Conservation Technician is the one presently using this old equipment, it would be to LPNNRD's advantage to turn over ownership to NRCS.  

 

Rationale:  It was reported that a meeting will be held to discuss the fuse plug portion of the project located on National Guard Camp property and prepare for having O&M responsibility turned over to LPNNRD.  We are still waiting for the Army Corp's to complete the Operations and Maintenance manual for our portion of the project in Saunders County.   

Rationale:  With no further business, the Projects Committee adjourned at 9:37 a.m.