August 2, 2023 at 6:00 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
Rationale:
Attached is the Water Development Areas for Variance Requests.
Non-Hydrological Control Area (White) - variance deadline is August 15 Hydrological Control Area (Blue) - variance deadline is September 15 Restricted Area (Red) can apply for a variance if within 1 mile of the blue or white area. Staff explained that an application within the one mile radius is put in the control area that they border.
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2.A.2. John Healy Variance Requests
Rationale:
This item was discussed at the May Water Committee Meeting with concern by the Committee about the amount of groundwater that actually would be used presently and in the future. John Healy handed out maps and explained that the City of Schuyler was looking for more application sites for the city's treated lagoon water. John has been using the treated water for numerous years. He receives a water analysis from the City annually, which he stated was low in nitrates. The Committee felt because of the environmental benefits and with the City expanding, this was a justification for a good cause variance.
John Healy/Lonnie Kitt submitted an application last fall for expanded water use from an existing well in the NE 1/4 of S24-17-3E Colfax County. Currently, well G-035877 is used to flush an irrigation system that covers 225.1 acres. The main water source is the City of Schuyler lagoons. They would like to add another pivot irrigated system of 50 acres to the current system and continue to utilize the lagoon water. The committee felt this would be a good cause variance but wanted to consider the amount of water being pumped by the irrigation well. Staff will contact John Healy to discuss the options. The application scored 307.7 with limiting factors in stream depletion and saturated thickness, which is to be expected with applications this close to the river.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend approving the variance for John Healy additional 50 acres for the NE1/4 S24-17N-3E, Colfax County with the justification of utilizing Schuyler Treated Lagoon Water to decrease the risk of water contamination. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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2.A.3. Voluntary Integrated Water Management Plan - LPNNRD
Rationale:
NeDNR and LPN staff made the annual joint presentation at the Committee meeting with the presentation attached.
V-IMP Goals Goal 1 Develop and maintain a District-wide water supply inventory. Goal 2 Develop and maintain a District-wide water demand inventory. Goal 3 Develop and implement water use policies and practices with the purpose of achieving and sustaining a balance between water uses and supplies. Goal 4 Communicate to the public that Nebraska has a great supply of water, and we need to continue to manage it well. Goal 5 Coordinate with Lower Platte River Basin NRDs, and appropriate groups and agencies, to develop a water management plan for the Lower Platte River Basin that maintains a balance between current and future water supplies and demands.
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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: #
The total number of approved permits for 2023 is #
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2.A.5. Cost Share Programs
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2.A.5.a. Irrigation Well Sample Kits
Rationale:
280 kits to producers so far in 2023. 129 of these have been returned - two of these were in August 2nd mail.
July precipitation - 9.62" in the rain gauge in the northwest corner of the office parking lot. |
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2.A.6. Bellwood Phase 2 Area
Rationale:
2023 is the twenty-first year for this Phase 2 Area.
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2.A.7. Richland - Schuyler Phase 3 Area
Rationale:
2023 is the eighth 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, 2021 and 2022 numbers (at bottom of table) are for 65 sections.
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2.A.8. Lower Platte River Basin Water Management Plan Coalition (LPRBC)
Rationale:
The technical group will be meeting on August 15 at 1 pm to view the updated version of the database.
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2.B. CHEMIGATION
Rationale:
For 2023 we have 641 renewals and 56 new permit applications for a current total of 697. A total of 231 site inspections have been completed.
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3. Educational Progam
Rationale:
A presentation was given by Monty Teeter from Dragon-Line Mobile Drip Irrigation on another approach to irrigation management. This product is on the NRCS eligible cost-share docket in some parts of the country. The local working groups look at practices that are eligible for cost-share.
Below is the Dragon-line website and a YouTube video about the company. www.dragonline.net https://youtu.be/csjdd7gtrJo |
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4. GROUND WATER PROGRAMS
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4.A. DECOMMISSIONED WELL PROGRAM
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4.A.1. Well Estimates
Rationale:
1 new well has been reviewed and approved for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.
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4.A.2. Plugged Wells
Rationale:
5 wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend to approve the cost-share payments for the following well decommissionings:
Paul Thorson $287.25; Todd Went $603.05; Dorothy Juranek $2423.64 (for 2 wells); Zoucha Farms LLC $1148.49 Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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4.B. LOWER PLATTE NORTH NRD GROUND WATER STUDIES
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4.B.1. Phase Area Update
Rationale:
A field day was held on August 8 near Bellwood showing precision nitrogen management through fertigation. The flyer is attached.
Attached is an invoice from LRE for $5,268.75 per contract on Hydrological Assessment. This was part of the WSF Best Management Practices Grant that was received in November 2022.
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4.B.2. Lower Platte River Consortium
Rationale:
The group had a monthly update on August 8 at 10 am. These updates make the group aware of drought situations for their agency.
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4.C. Grants
Rationale:
The WSF grant that was submitted for groundwater modeling was approved for $250,000. The grant sponsor will be the Papio-Missouri River NRD with the LPSNRD, LPNNRD and NeDNR as partners. LPNNRD committed $71,091.67 for 3 years or $23,697.22 annually by approved interlocal agreement dated 4/10/2023. The total estimated cost for this project was $660,000.
The WSF grant "Assessing legacy nitrate in Platte, Colfax and Dodge Counties, Nebraska" was approved for funding for $163,200 from the WSF. Lower Loup NRD will be the grant sponsor with LPN committing $54,000 over 3 years or $18,000 annually. USGS will be conducting the work with the total estimated cost of the project at $408,200. Attached is an interlocal agreement between the Lower Loup and Lower Platte North NRDs that needs approval.
Recommended Motion(s):
Recommend approving the inter-local agreement with Lower Loup NRD for the purpose of conducting WSF grant "Assessing legacy nitrate in Platte, Colfax and Dodge Counties, Nebraska" for Board Chairman Signature after legal counsel review. Passed with a motion by Board Member #1 and a second by Board Member #2.
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4.D. Water Flow Meters
Rationale:
A map is attached showing the location of flow meters on irrigation wells currently reporting water use. Discussion on the location of these meters and whether they represent a particular aquifer region.
The committee and staff discussed the possibility of a statistical analysis of the current flow meter locations and representation of that aquifer region. Staff will begin looking at developing analysis in these areas.
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5. SURFACE WATER PROGRAMS
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5.A. STATE LAKES, FOR THE WEEK OF
Rationale:
This week's (July 27) beach Bacteria and Harmful Algal Bloom results are now posted on the NDEE web page (Current Health Alerts and Sampling Results For This Week).
There will be 1 beach on "Health Alert" this week. Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County will remain on Health Alert. While Big Indian Lake (11A) in Gage County will be removed from Health Alert. When a lake exceeds 8 ppb of microcystin it will be placed on "Health Alert".
We have 2 beaches with E.coli testing above 235 colonies/100 ml.
Have a good rest of the week and stay cool! Justin Haas State Lakes Coordinator Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy P.O. Box 98922 245 Fallbrook Blvd., Suite 100 Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922 Direct: 402-471-4224 | Main office: 402-471-2186 http://dee.ne.gov | Twitter | Facebook |
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6. Budget 2023-24
Rationale:
Budget discussion
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7. OTHER
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7.A. COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC
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