September 3, 2020 at 7:30 AM - Water Committee Meeting
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1. UNFINISHED BUSINESS
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2. REGULATORY
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2.A. GROUND WATER MANAGEMENT AREA
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2.A.1. Variance Request in the Hydrologically Connected Area (Limited Development Area)
Rationale:
Deadline for applications are September 15.
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2.A.2. Variance Requests in the Non-Hydrologically Connected Area (Normal Development Area)
Rationale:
Staff reviewed current applications and it appears the current applications that are in the NRD office fall within the HCA (Blue) Area.
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2.A.3. Variance Requests in the Restricted Development Areas
Rationale:
Committee discussion: Staff explained the information that Katie Cameron developed for the meeting. Katie information included AEM flights and bore holes that showed the fragile nature of this part of the aquifer. Roger asked the Committee to allow him to keep his surface rights if an allocation is included in the conditions. It was pointed out, that by State Statue, domestic used has higher priority than irrigation in time of need, so in water shortage times domestic wells would receive water first. Committee thought a stricter annual allocation like 4/5 inches per year would be appropriated for this area. Committee thought conditions similar on the well approved in the restricted area in 2016 would be used with an allocation of 4 inches. The pump test would be for 36 hours and the irrigation well would need to pump 450 gallons per minute in this time range.
Attached is an updated sheet on potential conditions as of 9/10/2020. Information is attached on a well permit and variance in the red area. Katie's Comments: This inquiry was an interesting one to evaluate. It looks like this site is located in an area where a predominantly clay till over lying Dakota (to the west) meets an area with a coarse aquifer unit material available above the Dakota (Dakota sandstone/shale consistency below varies). I drew just an example type boundary between the two on the Google earth map for the site with lots of question marks. The orange hatch connects the two points on the west to east lines where the boundary is evident on the interpreted report profiles and then a jagged orange line represents one possible way it could be extending on the site - just for thinking about the variability of the boundary. The material above the Dakota is variable and the Dakota sandstone prevalence appears variable also. If I had to guess the best spot to get water with a new well, I would say southeast corner of the site BUT I am not sure how pumping up against a boundary to the west might affect the other wells in the Section. The abandoned irrigation well in neighboring Section 22 (G-056008 reported 1000 GPM, interbedded clay layers logged) and new well (700GPM, clay on top but layers not logged) seems high based on the AEM (this well is very close to the flight line L507800). So there is some discrepancy to consider on the matching up of logs with the resistivity profiles/interpretations (but irr. well log G-127249 on L300100 matches pretty well). Let me know if you need more on this, thanks! Katie Kathleen Cameron, PG Conservation and Survey Division Hydrogeologist / ENWRA Coordinator
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend to approve the variance to apply for a well permit for E1/2 NW1/4 and W1/4 NE1/4 Section 23-T14N-R6E with conditions, that staff and Roger Harders will assemble for approval at the October 1, 2020 Water Committee. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
Attachments:
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2.A.4. Well Permit Program
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2.A.4.a. Well Permits Approved
Rationale:
Wells Permits Approved: #19 for 2020
The total number of approved permits for 2020 is #19
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2.A.5. Irrigation Runoff Complaint
Rationale:
A couple of complaints with pivot end guns hitting the road. Staff contacted the individuals which appeared corrected the problem.
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2.A.6. Well Interference Complaints
Rationale:
Staff received a call from a person north of Brainard. His domestic well is located in LPS and was complaining the irrigation wells just north in LPN District was making his domestic well suck air. He was questioning why these wells were allowed to run all summer. Staff explained that this area was in a management area with flow meters and rolling allocation. Staff will look at the numbers at the end of the irrigation season, but these wells would have the potential to pump as much as 27 inches, for they did not run at all in 2018-19.
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2.A.7. Lower Platte River Basin Water Management Plan Coalition (LPRBC)
Rationale:
Invoice is attached for $10,000 for LPN portion of the study assembling all the data within the Basin.
Recommended Motion(s):
To pay the invoice from NARD Research for $10,000 for LPN portion to assemble the data within the Lower Platte Basin. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
Attachments:
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2.A.8. PHASE AREAS UPDATE
Rationale:
A virtual field day (pictures attached) with Mel and Matt Bailey (thank-you Baileys') allowing the NRD to dig a trench in their corn field. Patrick Cowsert a soil scientist from the NRCS analyzed the soils profiles. (A report called called PEDON is attached) He also had 6 soil scientist in training with him for education. The day was video taped and NRD staff will be editing this for a complete coverage of the day. If you look at "soil trench1" it shows a gray layer about 33 inches down. This shows the soil being calcified and potentially increases the pH. This happens from excess water and in this case probably from a high water table.
Staff visited with a couple of producers on what can be done for producers to try a corn/soybean rotation. Some of this area high pH effects the growth of the soybean plant. "When pH levels are above 7, the soil is basic. And soils with these highly alkaline pH levels often prevent plant roots from reducing iron to a soluble state." Producers have tried a couple of products that have been successful in getting soybean yields over 50 bushels/acre. The following is an idea for the NET grant to assist 10 producers for 130 acres per field and cost share $15/acre for $19,500 total cost. Soybeans is a legume which helps in nitrogen fixation. They also give a nitrogen credit to the soil, which reduces the amount of nitrogen needed for planting corn the following year. From the phase areas since 2003 approximately 70 percent of the time, corn is planted. The following are the initial projects included the grant: Staff is planning to include $20,000 for cost sharing on these products by reducing Cover Crops to $140,000. Cover Crops - $160,000 (40 producer, maximin 80 acres, $50/acre) Tissue Sampling - $2,000 (200 samples at $10/sample) Flow Meters - $350,000 (350 meters at $1000/meter) Monitoring wells - $100,000 (2 nested sites with 4 inch casing for sampling) Field Mapping - $10,000 (10 producers at $1000/field) High End Soil Moisture Sensors - $20,000 (20 producers at $1000/field) The total amount of a NET grant would be $642,000, which would be over 2 years and normally be about 25 percent for the LPNNRD. The LPNNRD requirement would be $160,500 over a 2 year period. The NET grant was submitted on September 8, and if approved the Committee/Board can make a motion in February 2021 to accept it for the dollar amounts approved by the NET Committee.
Attachments:
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2.A.9. Bellwood Phase 2 Area
Rationale:
2020 is the eighteenth year for this Phase 2 Area.
12 water sample results for this area have not yet been received from lab. |
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2.A.10. Richland - Schuyler Phase 2 Area
Rationale:
2020 is the fifth year of this Phase 2 Area. This area in 2020 is included with Phase 3 information.
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2.A.11. Richland - Schuyler Phase 3 Area
Rationale:
2020 is the fifth year of this Phase 3 Area. This Phase 3 area went into effect September 1, 2015. The 55 sections of this area went into a Phase 2 Area in 2004. The ten sections that were in Phase 2 are now in Phase 3. As such, the 2020 numbers (at bottom of table) are for 65 sections.
27 water sample results for this area have not yet been received from lab |
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2.A.12. LPNNRD Operator Certification
Rationale:
Staff has started the discussion on how to proceed with upcoming certification classes. Thoughts from Committee?
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2.A.13. Cost Share Programs
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2.A.13.a. Irrigation Well Sample Kits
Rationale:
So far in 2020 - 306 kits have been sent out.
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2.A.13.b. Flow Meter Maintenance Program
Rationale:
Attached is a bid for the Flow Meter Maintenance program. The contract length is for four years (2020-2024). There are approximately 1000 irrigation wells with flow meters that require routine maintenance to prolong the life of the meter and measure flow rates accurately.
Agreement is attached on September 10 for Board Chairman to sign.
Recommended Motion(s):
To approve the Water Flow Meter Maintenance quote from Tri-City Meters Inc for $60 for mechanical meters and $75 for electronic meters and to develop an agreement between both parties for Board Chairman signature Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
Attachments:
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2.B. CHEMIGATION
Rationale:
For 2020 we have 695 renewals and 53 new permit applications for a current total of 748. There were 720 permits in 2019. A total of 281 inspections were completed. (228 renewal permits and 53 new permits)
Attachments:
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3. GROUND WATER PROGRAMS
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3.A. DECOMMISSIONED WELL PROGRAM
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3.A.1. Well Estimates
Rationale:
# new wells has been reviewed and approved for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.
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3.A.2. Plugged Wells
Rationale:
# wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.
Recommended Motion(s):
To approve payments for well decommissioning to Mark B. Gall for $980.37; Jeffrey E. Bauer for $1,000; and Matthew R. Hilger for $1,000. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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3.B. LOWER PLATTE NORTH NRD GROUND WATER STUDIES
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3.C. GROUND WATER ENERGY LEVELS
Rationale:
The summer WANN Basin day was conducted on August 24. The summer average readings from 2020 were little over half of foot lower than summer 2019. There were 5 wells lower in summer 2020 than in 2012. Graphs attached.
Attached is GWEL TV-10 that LPN has been measuring water levels since 1990. A bull snake apparently crawled into the well and caused the well to loose pressure. He thought that the inspection port was not closed after the spring readings. This well is in a pasture and other critters could have potentially moved the covered. He just wanted NRD staff to be aware to close the inspection port after measuring the well. At this time staff is just informing the Committee of this situation.
Attachments:
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3.D. GROUND WATER QUALITY SAMPLING
Rationale:
Below is information from LPN statewide network wells that are sampled annually. Staff will be providing more information to Committee at the next Committee Meeting.
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4. SURFACE WATER PROGRAMS
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4.A. STATE LAKES, FOR THE WEEK OF
Rationale:
This week's beach Bacteria and Harmful Algal Bloom results are now posted on the NDEE web page (Current Health Alerts and Sampling Results For This Week).
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5. OTHER
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5.A. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
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