September 29, 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 Request in the Hydrologically Connected Area (Limited Development Area)
Rationale:
The District received 34 applications requesting 363.928 Acre Feet(AF) of water. LPN Groundwater Rules and Regulations allows 200 AF per year. Included in these numbers are 5 applications located in the Restricted Development Area (red) that are within the 1-mile boundary of the HCA (blue) area.
Scott Loseke attended the meeting to get a better understanding on how the scoring system works. He was wondering if the scoring system should include irrigation and soil management practices. The Committee asked staff to look at the bordering NRDs scoring system and discuss the process at a future Committee meeting. The Committee reviewed the attached document on the current applications.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend approving the HCA variance applications shown on the sheet that had a ranking score above 376, for a total of 199.769 Acre Feet of depletion. . Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
Attachments:
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2.A.2. Well Permit Program
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2.A.3. Transfer of irrigated acres
Rationale:
Don Wegener wants to transfer 49 certified irrigated acres of his original 62.848 acres from NE1/4 S11-17N-4E to his brother William Wegener, whose parcel is in the N1/2 S23-17N-3E. The map shows the parcel, highlighted on the right, to the parcel receiving the acres, shown by triangle on left. The second image shows the field currently.
The Committee asked staff to contact Don for more detailed maps on what will actually be irrigated. They were questioning how 49 acres could be irrigated on the receiving tract. They wanted to know more information about the other tract and make sure he understood that it could not be irrigated after the acres were transferred.
Attachments:
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2.A.4. Cost Share Programs
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2.A.4.a. Irrigation Well Sample Kits
Rationale:
334 kits went to producers in 2021. 333 of these have now been returned.
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2.A.5. Bellwood Phase 2 Area
Rationale:
2021 is the nineteenth year for this Phase 2 Area.
Staff collected eleven water samples from sections that border this Phase 2 Area: T16N-R1E Section 6 23.6 ppm Section 7 11.9 ppm Section 19 5.03 ppm Section 25 4.52 ppm Section 26 5.24 ppm Section 27 6.04 ppm Section 29 6.40 ppm Section 29 < R L Section 30 3.92 ppm T16N-R2E Section 30 0.31 ppm Section 31 1.21 ppm |
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2.A.6. 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 2 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.
All producer sample kits for this area have been returned and sample results sent to them. |
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2.A.7. LPNNRD Operator Certification
Rationale:
A list of planned meetings this winter. The bottom part of the sheet shows the nitrogen certification classes.
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:
2 new wells have 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.
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3.B. NEW MONITORING WELLS
Rationale:
The Lower Platte North received one bid from Dvorak Well Inc for drilling a monitoring well north of Richland. Attached is the quoted price, which staff feel is acceptable and reasonable. Steve Dvorak talked to staff on Tuesday, September 28 and asked permission, if the quote is acceptable by the Committee, to start ordering supplies. He claimed that the supply chain issue has been a challenge in receiving pipe and other parts. Staff would like the Committee to consider giving staff permission to proceed and have the Board ratify the decision on October 11, 2021.
Attached is a summary of the test hole drilled east of Fremont. The staff would like to drill a monitoring well to an 80-foot depth with screen level 69 -79 feet. The purpose of this well will be water quality, drought management and groundwater — river interaction. Staff would like the Committee to allow us to discuss with Dvorak Well on drilling a second well with the same quote. This well would be only 80 feet deep, so it should be less expensive than the well north of Richland. The concern about this well would be if the well was under too much pressure and flowed all the time. If this is the case, staff would recommend decommissioning the well ASAP, as the information for long range data would not be as valuable. The Committee gave staff permission to notify Dvorak Well Inc. that his bid would be accepted, so supplies could be ordered. They felt if Dvorak Wells would drill the second monitoring well at the quoted prices, that Dvorak Well would be approved to drill both wells. The staff was directed to receive a written quote from Dvorak Well for drilling the monitoring well east of Fremont.
Recommended Motion(s):
To approve the quote for drilling a monitoring well from Dvorak Well Inc, with the option of drilling a second well east of Fremont. Staff would be allowed to notify Dvorak Well Inc. before the Board meeting, so supplies can be ordered. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
Attachments:
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3.C. LOWER PLATTE NORTH NRD GROUND WATER STUDIES
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3.C.1. Phase Area Update
Rationale:
Attached are the planned small group meetings to help producers with online reporting. At these meeting it is planned to have discussion on best management practices to help in controlling nitrate leaching. The plan is to find out what practices that producers are willing to try, if money is available. This could help with the direction that the Committee might consider when applying for grants. The staff encourages Board/Committee Members to attend any of the meetings. Other suggestions?
An example is attached of the postcard that was sent out last week.
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3.C.2. Nebraska Nitrate Working Groups
Rationale:
Attached is a report from a variety of agencies on increasing nitrate awareness.
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3.C.3. Long Range Plan
Rationale:
Attached is a draft of the long range plan.
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3.D. Land Application Discussion
Rationale:
Discussion with the Committee on land application of nutrients. The Committee reviewed the attached documents and asked staff to keep them informed when land tracts were identified or any other actions.
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4. OTHER
Rationale:
Water Committee Consider Starting Time Change for Winter Months? The Committee felt for the Winter Months, starting at the November Committee Meeting, to start at 6 pm instead of 7.
Will's Monthly Report attached.
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4.A. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
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