May 30, 2018 at 5:00 PM - Water Committee Meeting

Rationale:  John Hannah visited with Dale Dicke (Dale Dicke Feeders) and reports that Dale had contacted a well company to install a flow meter.  Staff has not heard from Dale to confirm if the meter has been installed.  Staff would like to set the date of June 14, 2018 for the completion of the installation of the flow meter on well G-111561 in NE NE of Section 8-19N-1E (Platte County). If installation has not been completed without proper justification on why not, a hearing will be scheduled right before the Water Committee on June 27, 2018  The hearing will recommend issuing a Cease and Desist and to proceed to County Court.  

Rationale:  At this time we have 3 individuals who are making a request.  
1. John Wotipka has 135 previous certified acres and will be adding an additional 59 acres from well G-095822.  The well is located in NW NW 25-14-6E and will be transferring water to the E NE 26-14-6E.  There will a consumption use of a 27 inches rolling allocation over a 3 year period with a flow meter  and annual report required. This should relate to a 6.3 acre inches per year.
2. John Wotipka has 67 previous certified acres and will be adding an additional 83 irrigated acres from well G-136546.  The well is located in the SW SE 24-14-6E and will be transferring water to the NE 25-14-6E.  There will be a consumptive use of 27 inch rolling allocation for 3 years with a flow meter and annual report required. This would relate to a 4.0 acre inch per year.
3.  Arnie Stuthman has 130 previous certified acres and will be adding an additional 40 irrigated acres from well G-161854.  The well is located in the NW SW 6-18-2E and will be transferring water to the N NW 7-18-2E. This would be in SQS#2 area with a consumptive use of 27 inch rolling allocation,  A flow meter is already attached with annual reporting,  This would relate to 6.9 acre inches per year.
 

Rationale:  A well permit for a poultry operations for John Kobza in the NW SW 13-16-2E Butler County with estimated pumping capacity of 160 GPM.  Three wells are being drilled in a series, so only 1 approved well permit is needed. This well is in the Blue Area and should have enough water for this operation.  Attached is the permit which will supply water for 2,000,000 birds with the peak season depletion being 8 Acre/Feet.

Rationale:  In-Situ Quote for loggers and cables [attachment] - these to be put in gravel pack tubes in SQS #2 for monitoring water levels at producer wells.  UNL-C&SD and DNR are also looking to purchase loggers and cables for additional sites in SQS #2. Graduate student at UNL, Jacqueline Polasek, is doing her study thesis on the area.  DNR is also interested in data from this area for modeling. The plan is to develop a network with UNL- &SD and NeDNR in setting up about 20 sites.  This is part of the Platte-Colfax Study Area proposed through ENWRA.  After the study the plan is that the LPNNRD will assume ownership of these sites for assistance in management for this area.  The remote reads for these sites are not available at this time but the plan is to keep working in this direction. 
One of the old loggers from 2006 has quit working.  There are still two loggers from 2006 and one from 2007 in wells.  These old loggers are in wells closer to the office.

 

Rationale: 

Two flow meter cost-share applications have been received and a register conversion from Gallons to Acre Inch.  The flow meter cost-share is $770 and register conversion is eligible for $225.  

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)

 

Water Sustainability Fund (WSF)
8 inch meters	2 x 8" meters or XX x $770 = $1540
6 inch meters	XX x 6" meters or XX x $577 = $0
WSF Total	$1540
	So Running Total WSF Grant = $81,224 of $200,000 grant
	So Remaining Total of WSF Grant = $118,776

 

 

LPNNRD For GWEL Cooperators
8 inch meter	0 x 8" meters or 1 x $230 = $0
6 inch meter	0 x 6" meters or 0 x $172 = $0
Carry over (8 inch meter)	0 x 8" meter or 0 x $230= $0
LPNNRD Total	$0

 

Total For Flow Meter Cost Share Program
WSF & LPNNRD	For approval at May 30, 2018 Board Meeting = $1765

 ==========================================

 

Rationale:  Three online test requests have been received in May.  Each of these had filed Application for Chemigation Permit without valid NRD (Nitrogen Management) certification.  Each passed the test and a certification card was mailed.

Cert #	Cert date	Name	Re-cert	Comments
5875	5/21/2018	Chad Fehringer	Yes
7129	5/25/2018	Jared Rasmussen	New
7130	5/25/2018	John Reese	New

Rationale: 

Currently for 2018 we have received 516 renewals and 13 new permit applications for a total of 529.  There are 639 total chemigation renewal applications.

 

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

County	Number of Renewals
Boone	52
Butler	42
Colfax	33
Dodge	94
Madison	6
Platte	93
Saunders	196

 

 

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

County	Number of Renewal Inspections Completed
Boone	3
Butler
Colfax
Dodge
Madison
Platte
Saunders

 

 

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

County	New Chemigation Applications
Boone	1
Butler	0
Colfax	1
Dodge	1
Madison	0
Platte	3
Saunders	7

 

Rationale: 

Tom Christopherson and/or GeoSpec representative attended the  meeting with a proposal for decommissioning of irrigation well, G-040351, in potentially sensitive area  [attachments].  The committee discussed looking into future grant opportunities that might assist with future decommissioning wells as proposed.  No action was taken at this time

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

 

Rationale: 

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

Well Owner	Type of Well	Cost Share Estimate	County
Leonard Cuda	Irrigation	$750.82	Saunders
WMW Family Farms LLC	Irrigation	$915.92	Platte

 

Rationale:  A reminder that a payment for $375,000 will be due July 2018 with a reimbursement of $225,000 received around August 31.   Flights are planned to start June 6 and work south to north.  Additional Flight Lines that is attached is shown in orange, which is an additional 700 km. 

Rationale:  The Lower Platte North, Lower Platte South and Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources Districts, Lincoln Water System, Metropolitan Utilities District of Omaha, and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (Consortium) are embarking on an effort to develop a Drought Contingency Plan for the Lower Platte River Basin in Nebraska, funded in part by the U.S.
Bureau of Reclamation and the Nebraska Water Sustainability Fund. The plan will offer drought mitigation and response from a regional, integrated perspective, while considering Consortium partners’ existing water resources and assets and exploring alternative and/or new operational
tactics to improve resiliency for droughts.

The Consortium is holding two meetings on June 19, 2018 at North Star High School in Lincoln, Nebraska. The first is a technical workshop and the second is a public meeting. You are invited to attend and participate in either meetings.

Consortium Technical Workshop
Goal of Meeting: The workshop is technical in nature. The goal of the workshop is to present
Consortium planning efforts to date including analysis on drought indicators, forecasting analysis, and evaluation of drought triggers.
Date: June 19, 2018 
Time: 3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Location: North Star High School, Cafeteria
5801 N 33rd St
Lincoln, NE 68504

Public Information Meeting
Goal of Meeting: The goal of the meeting is to educate the public on droughts, Consortium planning efforts to date, and receive public feedback.
Date: June 19, 2018 
Doors Open: 5:00 p.m.
Formal Presentation: 5:30 p.m. (preceded and followed by an Open House)
Doors Close: 7:00 p.m.
Location: North Star High School, Cafeteria
5801 N 33rd St
Lincoln, NE 68504

Rationale:  Sue Lackey - UNL CSD along with Downey Irrigation are drilling wells down into the Dakota Aquifer in the SQS # 2 area.  They started on May 21 and plan on being done mid June. A complete update will be given at the committee meeting. An invoice for $136,700 per agreement is attached for payment. 

Rationale:  GWEL Report shows about the equal number of wells static water level increased as decreased.  District wide 177 wells were measured with 2 wells in L2 and 2 wells in L3.  
Graphs are shown 

Rationale:  A tour was held on May 16 in which Larry Feala, Gene Ruzicka and Daryl Andersen attended.  

Rationale:  Harmful Algal Blooms

NO Lakes will be on "Health Alert" this week. NDEQ in conjunction with numerous collaborators monitor public beaches and sample for microcystin, a toxin produced as a result of a Harmful Algal Bloom. A lake that exceeds 20 ppb of microcystin will be placed on "Health Alert". That lake will remain under  "Health Alert" Status until such time that it has tested below 20 ppb for two continuous weeks.
If a lake is under a Health Alert, signs will be posted recommending people avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc.


Bacteria

Lakes that tested high for E. coli bacteria this week are listed below. E. coli  bacteria levels measured above 235 colonies/100 ml of sample are considered a higher risk for illness when swimming.  Considering the more rapid changes in bacteria conditions, signs are not posted with these higher levels although we want people to be aware and use their own judgment on their use.
 
Lakes with High E. coli Bacteria Levels

Lake Name	County	E.coli Bacteria
Pawnee Lake	Lancaster	687

 
This information is updated weekly on our web site, http://deq.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/Beaches2018.xsp . We hope you find this interesting and useful.

 

Rationale:  GMDA Summer Conference is ongoing this week in Savannah, Georgia.  Two directors, John Hannah and Don Kavan, and two staff, Daryl Andersen and Bret Schomer, are attending.