September 1, 2021 at 7:00 PM - 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 Requests in the Restricted Development Areas
Rationale:
Staff reviewed the variances for the committee and public with no action taken at the meeting. The Committee will review these variances at the September Water Committee Meeting. Staff will be sending letters out to existing well owners within the area of each applied variance per LPN GW Rules and Regulation for Restricted Development Area (red).
The variances were reviewed on what management area they border. Section 1-16N-5E - border blue on east and white on north Section 29-15N-7E - borders blue Section 30-15N-7 E - borders blue Section 17-15N-7E - border blue Section 34-15N-9E - borders blue Section 28-15N-6E - borders white Information is attached from all sites, with more analysis being completed for a couple. Restricted development rules: Section P Irrigation Development in the Restricted Development Areas (RDA) Rule 1 The District will allow expansion of new acres but does not allow for any more consumptive use in the RDA. Any development of new irrigated acres in the RDA shall be offset with an equal number of irrigated acres retired within the same aquifer subarea and shall be considered a transfer. The RDA areas within Lower Platte North NRD are on file in the District office and shown on Exhibit A. Rule 2 LPNNRD shall require a water quality test from any well pumping from the Dakota Aquifer, due to its high variability in water quality. Rule 3 If a transfer is approved, the new irrigation well shall not irrigate more than 160 acres in total. Rule 4 The district shall send notices to adjacent landowners notifying them about the proposed well and allow them to testify at a Water Committee or Board meeting to present their case for or against the proposed well. This shall be required before the permit for the proposed well can be approved by the NRD. Adjacent landowners are those whose land touches the tract that is requesting the variance. If the adjacent land is part of a city, village or SID then a single notice will be sent to the political sub-division. Rule 5 The Board may grant a variance to Rule 1 if the relevant parcel of ground is within 1 mile of a Normal Development Area or Limited Development Area. Such variance for new irrigation shall follow all rules as set forth in the applicable development area. Rule 6 The well owner, landowner and tenant will allow the LPNNRD to measure the groundwater energy levels within the new well and add it to the LPNNRD GWEL network. Rule 7 The well owner will install small diameter piping, placed in the gravel pack of the high capacity well, so LPNNRD can measure drawdown when the pump is operating and to measure the recovery rate. Rule 8 Three test holes will be required to show the geology at and near the proposed well site. One test hole will be drilled at the proposed well site with the second and third test hole drilled approximately 300 feet from the proposed well site and spaced from each other. If a registered well with a well log exists within 1,000 feet of the proposed well site then this well log maybe used to replace one of the required test holes. Rule 9 Any permit issued for development in the restricted development area is a "conditional permit". Conditional permits may be treated differently than other well permits within LPNNRD. With good cause these permits may have pumping restrictions placed on them, or withdrawn by the NRD. Rule 10 A pump test may be performed for a minimum of 24 hours, or until the flow stabilizes or slows down. This pump test will be conducted during peak irrigation season. Rule 11 A continuation of Stay Management Area Rules as defined in Section M, Rule 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12, shall apply.
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2.A.2. Variance Request in the Hydrologically Connected Area (Limited Development Area)
Rationale:
Deadline for applications are September 15.
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2.A.3. Variance Requests in the Non-Hydrologically Connected Area (Normal Development Area)
Rationale:
Attached is the spreadsheet for the applications on hand by August 15th, 2021. Committee reviewed the applications and recommended approving the applications that met the 300 point threshold. The Non HCA area (white) allows 75 acre feet of development per years, with these applications utilizing 41.745 acre feet of depletion.
A development area map is attached along with an interpretation of Section 28-15N-6E located in the Red area.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend to approve 6 variance applications to the following: Roland Kavan (S36-17-5E) Doug Ritthaler (S4-16-8E, S26-17-7E, S9-16-8E, S15-16-8E) and Randall Fendrich (S17-15-3E) Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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2.A.4. Well Permit Program
Rationale:
Scenario 1:
A land tract in the S1/2 Section 32-18-6E, north of North Bend, has been split because of the new highway. The landowners are planning to install a drip irrigation system south of the highway. They currently have certified acres on that parcel of about 63 acres, leaving them short. But they have approved variances with Sequence numbers of 435, 289, and 290. (shown on map) Now to add more complication, because the highway bisected this parcel these acres never actually got developed, so the question becomes, are they still valid Variance Acres? If yes, this would gain about 23 acres, so now we’re up to 86 acres, still short of what they’d need by roughly 9 acres. They would like to drill a new well south of the highway for the SDI system. Committee felt that a variance should be submitted as this tract of land would be over the 5 acre threshold. Scenario 2: A land tract in the SE1/4 Section 30-17N-3E, SW of Schuyler, has been split up because the lake has been sold to a different owner. The previous owner had been irrigating out of the lake, but the new owner wants to keep it for recreation. They would like to drill a new well in this quarter, which would be a 2 acre increase as shown by the attached map. Committee felt that a new well permit would be sufficient as the extra acres would be below the 5 acre threshold. A replacement well might not be an option as the original well would be under a different ownership.
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2.A.4.a. Well Permits Approved
Rationale:
Wells Permits Approved: #
The total number of approved permits for 2020 is #
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2.A.4.b. Well Permit #1
Rationale:
Platte County Highway Department has applied for a well permit to drill a new well for the purpose of filling brine tank for road salt.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend to approve the well permit for Platte County Highway Department. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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2.A.4.c. Well Permit #2
Rationale:
James Klassen has submitted an application for a supplemental well in S15-T20N-R5W in Boone County. Well G-086029 currently irrigates 212 acres (one full circle pivot and one wiper pivot) The land is being divided between family members, and they would like a separate well for the 69.8 acres irrigated under the wiper pivot. Attached is a copy of the application, a map of the section, and the well log information from well G-086029.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend approving the supplemental well permit for James Klassen for S15-T20N-R5W. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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2.A.5. Special Quantity Subareas
Rationale:
Staff have received a few calls from producers and citizens on wells within Platte County throughout the heat of the growing season. Their concern is that they pumped heavily in 2019 & 2020 and were worried that they would not have enough left in their 27 inch rolling allocation during the current (2021) growing season. Here is an example:
2019 Usage : 6.39 Acre inches 2020 Usage: 14.12 Acre Inches 2021 Remaining Allocation: 6.49 Acre inches Another concern is for next year's growing season (2022). Another example: 2020 Usage: 12.92 Acre inches 2021 Usage: 10.65 Acre inches (for example) 2022 Remaining Allocation: 3.43 Acre inces Discussion? Ideas? Comments? Irrigation management classes? Rule 3 Annual Reduction Formula If, at the termination of the three year rolling term, any groundwater user has exceeded the Rolling Allocation by more than one-half (0.5) inches per acre, the Rolling Allocation for the following three year term shall be reduced by the amount the groundwater user exceeded his Rolling Allocation times a factor of 6 (e.g. an excess by one acre-inch shall result in a six acre-inch reduction in the users Rolling Allocation for the following three year term). For purposes of calculation of the reduction, all fractional figures shall be rounded to the nearest whole number. If any groundwater user fails to follow any timing and/or rotation restrictions imposed by the District the user shall have his Rolling Allocation reduced up to 6 acre inches for each offense. |
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2.A.6. Lower Platte River Basin Water Management Plan Coalition (LPRBC)
Rationale:
Attach is information from Flatwater Group and NeDNR on data supplied by LPN staff, to start the process of analyzing the next 5 years allotment increments. This is only the west part of the District that CNEB covered. The other part will be using the statistical model called the Jenkins method.
The technical group met on Tuesday, August 17 to discuss the preliminary information. The plan is to have a draft ready by November for the Management Group. The information then will be presented to all the NRDs Board in December and January for approval. The Directors group will then approve it at the April 2022 meeting. Items discussed at the technical meeting is actual meter data compared to estimated data from 2012-2020. It was suggested that the goals and objectives should be reviewed if other changes are needed. Updates were given on Database Development, irrigated acres accounting and other models. Staff will keep Committee informed as this process moves forward.
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2.A.7. Cost Share Programs
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2.A.7.a. Irrigation Well Sample Kits
Rationale:
334 kits to producers so far in 2021. 289 of these have been returned. Seventeen of these were in Tuesday's mail.
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2.A.7.b. Flow Meter Maintenance Program
Rationale:
The inspection schedule for the 2021-2022 maintenance cycle is attached. It is labeled as year 2 (2021-2022) on the excel tab. A map is also attached indicating the maintenance zones (1-4). The meters that are to be maintained this upcoming November are located in zone 2.
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2.B. GROUND WATER QUALITY SAMPLING
Rationale:
Water Sample was collected as part of the well permit condition.
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2.B.1. Bellwood Phase 2 Area
Rationale:
2021 is the nineteenth year for this Phase 2 Area. (In 2015 this area was reduced from 32 sections to 21 sections.) a
2021 - Five sample results have been received and sent to producer(s): 0.90, 2.36, 15.8, 16.4, 19.7. 53 sample results have not yet been received from lab. Staff collected eleven water samples from sections that border this Phase 2 Area. Most of these results have not yet been received from the lab. |
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2.B.2. Richland - Schuyler Phase 3 Area
Rationale:
2021 is the sixth year of this Phase 3 Area. This Phase 3 area went into effect September 1, 2015. The 55 sections of this area first went into a Phase Area in 2004. The ten sections that were in Phase 2 are now in Phase 3. As such, the 2020 and 2021 numbers (at bottom of table) are for 65 sections.
130 sample results have not yet been received from the lab. Results have been sent to producers. |
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2.C. CHEMIGATION
Rationale:
For 2021, we have 658 renewals and 46 new permit applications for a current total of 704 active permits. Inspections on 281 permitted sites have been completed. There are 13 sites that are still up for inspection but may need to be moved into next year's inspection cycle because of engine or electrical issues with their wells. Of these 13 permits, 3 are new permits. |
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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:
Two wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend approving payment for well decommissioning to David R Pieke for $1,000 and Kerry Knuth for $712.50 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.B.1. Phase Area Update
Rationale:
Garrett Buckley from Pivot Bio gave an interesting presentation. “Pivot Bio has transformed the way fertilizer is produced and used by the world’s farmers. From their environmentally sound fermentation production process to their zero waste and zero footprint, Pivot Bio’s microbes offer farmers a more efficient and sustainable nitrogen to fuel their crops.” This product could have potential to help prevent nitrate leaching into the groundwater.
The vadose and water sampling report from the Phase Areas is attached for review. A brief discussion on the report was done at the Committee, with Dan Snow - UNL making a presentation at a future Committee meeting. Committee would like a joint meeting with neighboring NRDs to discuss these studies and other opportunities for joint cooperation in the nitrate areas. Some information is attached on cover crops being used in the Waverly Wellhead Protection Area.
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3.B.2. Lower Platte River Consortium
Rationale:
Staff participated with the other members on a couple desktop scenarios concerning drought situations. One scenario was a flash drought and the other a 5-year drought. The purpose was to show how prepare each agency was to the scenario.
Committee and staff discussed the concerns on the projects and regulations that could be within the NRDs boundaries to provide water into the Platte River. |
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3.C. NEW MONITORING WELLS
Rationale:
Attached is the information from the test hole and proposed depth and screening information for 1 monitoring well north of Richland. Staff would like approval to send out RFPs to well drillers for quotes on drilling this monitoring well. The plan is to drill around the first of November.
Committee gave direction to staff to proceed on obtaining RFPs for the dedicated monitoring well north of Richland.
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4. SURFACE WATER PROGRAMS
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4.A. STATE LAKES, FOR THE WEEK OF
Rationale:
Health Alerts are available on NDEE website. Currently, no lakes within LPN are on the list.
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5. OTHER
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5.A. Know Your Well Grant
Rationale:
Information is attached for a program call Know Your Well (KYW). The University of Nebraska - Dan Snow is asking for support from the NRDs. He is asking for a letter of support and a cash match up to $3,200 per school that would participate.
Committee asked staff to send a support letter for this project, with no matching dollar amounts.
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5.B. Tile Drains Update
Rationale:
State Sentor Bruce Bostelman, Lumir Jedicka, Joe Heavican and John met with LPNNRD staff (Eric, Tom, Daryl, Russ) to discuss tile drains within the district. Discussion was trying to find a reasonable solution on this issue. Senator Bostelman is planning on having a followup meeting with state agencies and other NRDs.
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5.C. GMDA Winter Conference
Rationale:
The winter conference is scheduled for January 18-20 in San Antonio, TX.
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5.D. Long Range Plan 2022
Rationale:
It is that time again to approve our Long Range Plan which is updated annually. The plan, which is a State requirement, outlines what we accomplished in FY 2021 and what our plans are looking forward from FY 2022 to F Y 2027. Please review the attached draft and give input by the September 13th Board Meeting where Board approval will be requested.
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5.E. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
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