December 27, 2017 at 5:00 PM - Water Committee Meeting

Propose updates of Rules and Regulations.  

The plan is to keep moving forward with a public meeting and hearing on March 28 with Board approval at April 9th meeting.  The GW Advisory Group meeting will be held the first part of February for their input. 

A letter is attached from John Vybiral for variance LPN-V-013-0279.  John will be declining the variance at this time for 65 acres.

Kerry Knuth called the office in early December to discuss the decision on his variance application. The application was not on the list at the time of approval. After doing some investigation it was determined that staff had made a clerical error when filing the application. Had the application been included with all other variances on file it would have ranked 4th highest. Attached is a map of the field in question, the ranking associated ranking sheet, and a copy of the list voted on by the Board at the November Board Meeting. 

Wells Permits Approved: 3

The total number of approved permits for 2017 is 32

Location of Approved Well Permits for 2017:  Correct as of 12/27/2017

Staff is asking for the Board's direction with regard to how we will be dealing with future livestock well permit applications. After our meeting with Lincoln Premier Poultry, we have determined that a four barn poultry operation will annually use approximately the same amount of water as a 70 acre pivot irrigation system at a rate of 8" acre inches per year. This would classify any high capacity well for poultry as a class 2 permit. If the district strictly looks at potential capacity, two 50gpm wells could potentially pump 161 acre feet per year which would require a Class 3 permit.

A conference call was held with DNR on starting the process of finishing LPN VIMP.  Discussion involved Acre Feet allotment, new map and editing changes. 

Tentative timetable is as follows:

January 31 - DNR will be at Water Committee discussing a new Hydrological Connected Map along with the Acre Feet Split between Surface and Groundwater. 

February 28 - Stakeholder/Public Meeting on VIMP

March 28 - Public Hearing on VIMP along with Groundwater Management Plan Rules and Regulations

April 9 - Board Approval of VIMP and GW R & R.

Since the last Committee, no actual flow meter cost-share has been received but one individual did convert 2 register to Acre-Inch from Gallons.  The conversion is eligible for $225 per register. 

At the June 28, 2017 Water Committee, motion (1) offer cost-share for flow meters to producers within 2 miles of the SQS #2 Boundary with-in LPNNRD and (2)to offer cost-share within the SQS #2 area to convert gallons reading registers to acre-inches. Cost-share for registers conversion will be $225 with producer paying the labor cost. Deadline for invoices will be by March 1.

At the November 30, 2016 Water Committee, motion was made to fund GWEL cooperator wells at $1,000 per 8 inch meters ($770 from WSF and $230 from LPNNRD = $1,000) and at $749 per 6 inch meters ($577 from WSF and $172 from LPNNRD = $749)

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489 letters to producers whose certification will expire 4/1/2018

181 letters to producers who certification has already expired

Fifteen of these have contacted LPNNRD that they won’t be re-certifying due to retirement, moved out of District, no longer farm due to health, death, etc

Phase 2 reports received through 12/22/2017

     Bellwood - 25 (134 reports received last year)

     Richland-Schuyler North - 25 (61 received last year)

Phase 3 reports received through 12/22/2017

    Richland-Schuyler - 105 (409 received last year)

Deadline on 12/31/2017 falls on Sunday so will likely be getting reports on 1/2/2018 (next mail day).

A hearing is scheduled for December 27 at 4:30 pm. on updating the prices within Chemigation Rules and Regulation.  Attached with the R & R is a Violation Policy which will also be presented at the hearing.  Approval at the Committee Meeting on both items will be needed to present to the Board. 

The LPNNRD has received # ==== livestock permit applications from DEQ since the last Water Committee meeting.

 Description of permit application

# new wells has been reviewed and approved for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.

# wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.

The Lower Platte South would like an approval email from each NRD on the AGF and DNR draft contracts by January 8, 2018. 

The LPN obligation to this study was $26,000, which $13,000 was paid in the last fiscal year.  Lower Platte South was hoping to get all of the partners paid in full as soon possible, so LPN share for this fiscal year is $13,000. 

The Water Department budgeted an UTV (ATV) with trailer in the FY 2017-18 budget.  The plan is to go through the government contract, which is thru Polaris.  If we can't get the right specs, a RFP will be sent out in January to dealers within the District, so the Water Committee can review and make recommendation at the January 31 Water Committee.