October 30, 2025 at 9:30 AM - Water Committee Meeting

Rationale:  Last month, the Committee asked staff to reach out to Dan Wondercheck as his application scored 385.78, but the field had 21.5% Class 6 soils.  Dan is willing to work with the NRD on this site to get it approved.  Staff has redrawn the map which allows this site to meet the criteria.  Dan had already leveled the field and planted a cover crop, so the field would look different.  (Staff had not visited the site to verify it).  Dan would be asking to run the pivot through the area not approved that would need to be dry. 
  
A map and scoring sheet are attached.  The Committee reviewed the map provided by staff, which showed only a small sliver would be needed to meet the criteria of less than 20% of Class 6 soils.  It was suggested to require to continuing cover crops on the soils.  

Jon Engel received an expansion of acres variance LPN-V-024-0645 for 35 acres.  Jon would like an extension on this variance to get his pivot installed.  Staff would recommend a 6-month extension. 

Rationale:  A presentation will be given by DWEE and LPN staff for the annual update on the V-IMP.  

Rationale:  The GWMP is going through review at DWEE, which they have 90 days to submit comments.  

Jon Mohr from LRE (Spheros Environmental will be the new name) explained the scope of service offered by them to evaluate the current variance scoring and recommended changes to reflect the updated data.  The other changes included groundwater quantity management procedures along with finalizing the GWMP for a total cost of $26,200 for all three tasks.  (Attachment explaining all the tasks)

These were recommended updates from the GWMP and the Committee felt it would be beneficial to consider these tasks.  

Rationale:  LRE will give an update on the special quantity subareas. The plan is to present this information to producers in the first week of December.  

Rationale:  Robinson MeadowBrook G.P. applied on 12 fields for soil moisture sensors. The application allows for 50% up to $750 with one application per entity.  This is a program the NRD started in 2021 to encourage producers to install soil moisture sensors.  

Attachment.

Rationale:  The flow meter maintenance program will be taking place in Madison, Platte and Boone counties. Postcards were sent out to producers earlier this week. 

Rationale:  Staff is conducting fall water level measurements.  

Rationale: 

No new wells have been reviewed and approved for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.

 

Rationale: 

No wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.

Well Owner	Type of Well	Cost Share Estimate	County

 

Rationale:  An invoice for Richard Hoppe has been submitted for our Flow Meter Cost Share Program for 2 meters with the total cost share amount being $2,000. 

Rationale:  The group did not receive funding from the WSF grant but is planning on doing small-scale research in specific areas.  Katie will be reaching out for areas where the LPN would like to utilize the Ttem equipment.  

Attached is a graph with tentative funding within the ENWRA budget. 

Rationale:  The group is planning on meeting on Wednesday, November 12 at 10 am in the Board Room at Lower Platte North NRD. 

Rationale:  The Source Water Grants for Mead and Yutan were not approved. We have been in contact with both communities to discuss how they want to proceed.

Jake Maslonka will be attending the village of Malmo board meeting on November 3rd to discuss Wellhead Protection with them.

Rationale: 

The 2nd Annual UNL-TAPS (Testing AG Performance Solutions) Sprinkler Irrigated Corn Farm Management Competition will be conducted in 2026 at the Eastern Nebraska Research, Extension and Education Center (ENREEC) near Mead, NE. The competition has three awards: 1) most profitable; 2) highest input use efficiency; and 3) greatest grain yield. The farm management competition will host approximately 30 teams made up of individuals and groups. Each team will be assigned a "farm" comprised of four randomized plots within the same field, totaling approximately one-half of an acre. TAPS personnel will manage each farm (i.e., plots) based on participants’ management decisions. The yields and costs from each farm will be scaled to represent 1,500 acres of production, as this provides an opportunity to market an amount of grain that is more representative of a modern size farm. Participants will make a series of seven farm management decisions throughout the contest period, that include crop insurance selection, hybrid type, seeding rate, irrigation management, nitrogen management, fungicide application, and grain marketing. The production management decisions made by each team will be imposed on the individual team’s assigned plots under the variable rate center pivot irrigation system at ENREEC. All other management categories will be controlled by the TAPS team, e.g.  planting date, residue/soil management, etc. These decisions will be based on best management practices and be identical across all farms. 

Each farm’s decisions and farm specific information will be kept until the season’s end, and only available to authorized team members and TAPS personnel. Information and data that is general in nature, including plot photos, weather, crop status (e.g., growth stage advancement), and data collected by various technologies, water sensors, aerial photographs, etc., will be posted to the website, as it is collected. Supporting information, such as leaf area index, plant height, and plant nitrogen uptake may be made available to the participants as available or at the end of the growing season.  Each competitor will have an opportunity to use innovative technology, test new methods, observe different approaches to solving similar issues, socialize, and discuss the problems, successes, and challenges of the farming business.

Registration is free to participants via eternal contributions to support the program.  Actual costs are estimated at $500 per team.  Nine other NRDs contribute to TAPS, with the vast majority contributing $1,000.  Discussion is requested to support TAPS along with promoting the program to LPNNRD producers.  NRD staff are planning to participate.