May 27, 2015 at 5:00 PM - Water Committee Meeting

Rationale:  Variance Request Penalty for Violation of LPNNRD R&R.  This would apply to the ranking criteria and the issuance for new irrigated acres.  Need to establish a policy on this.  Options that were previous discussed included:

• 50 points per acre
• points removed per type of violation, whole field vs. corner
• 1st time violation given just warning
• penalty by subarea
• one, two, or three year suspension, which could be based on number of acres per that violation.

Staff recommendation is the last one.

Committee members discussed this and reviewed the rules from the Upper and Lower Republican NRD's (see attached).  Middle Republican NRD is in the process of updating their rules and these were not available on-line.  Directors preferred to follow rules of URNRD but to develop a 'Violation of LPNNRD policy' which would also include transfers, ranking criteria for variance requests, and cost share programs.

Rationale:  No new applications were received in the Hydrologically Connected Area.

Rationale:  No new applications were received in the Non-Hydrologically Connected Area.

Rationale:  No new applications were received in the Restricted Development Area.

Rationale:  Wells Permits Approved: 1

Landowner	Number of Wells	Number of New Irrigated Acres	Type of Well	County	Subarea
William K Becker	1	130 (Transfer)	Irrigation	Boone	Lower Newman Grove

The total number of approved permits for 2014 is 26


Location of Approved Well Permits for 2014:  Correct as of 5/27/2015

County	Irrigation - New	Irrigation - Replacement	Stock	Commercial	Municipal	Other	Total
Butler	1	2	0	0	0	0	3
Colfax	1	2	0	0	0	0	3
Dodge	3	3	0	0	0	0	6
Boone	1	2	0	0	0	0	3
Madison	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Platte	3	2	0	0	0	0	5
Saunders	3	2	0	1	0	0	6
Total	12	13	0	1	0	0	26

Rationale: 

Tyler Bruhn is asking for a year extension to LPNNRD Well Permit LPN-014-1525; a pond well permit appoved 5/29/2014.  The permitted location is in the SW 1/4 SW 1/4 of S30-17-9E, Fremont Subarea (HCA), Dodge County.  The well will be used to maintain a level suitable to for wildlife habitat in and around the pond.  

A copy of the committee motion from 4/30/2014 is attached.

LPNNRD Policy on Pond Wells in the HCA:

1. In Hydrologically Connected Areas (HCA): A limited number of new or existing wells can be considered by the District in a given year to add ground water to a new or existing pond or lake. 
   1. A flow meter must be installed on new or existing wells used to fill wetlands, ponds, or lakes.
   2. The volume pumped in any given year shall not exceed nine acre inches per LPNNRD approved surface acre(s) of the wetland, pond, or lake.  Annual volume pumped is to be reported to the LPNNRD by January 31^st of each following year. 
   3. This well can only be used from September 1 to May 31. 

Rationale: 

Clay Heavican has submitted a well permit application for a pond/stock well permit in the SE1/4 NE1/4 S1-16-2E Octavia Subarea (HCA), Colfax County.  The well will be used to provide water to approximately 30 head of cattle over the summer months, and to run water over a frozen pond for duck hunting in the winter.  The expected annual water use will total 230,000 gallons. Attached are a section map, a map from 2011 showing the pond and well location, and the breakdown of the water usage.

Water Usage:

-Cattle: 164,200 gal

-Pond: 65,800 gal

Rationale: 

Staff have worked on a transfer policy for irrigated acres, see attached document.

Committee members reviewed the policy and recommended some changes for further review.  Members also felt that the LPNNRD should develop a 'violation policy'.

Rationale: 

Angle, Benal, Oaklund, and Schomer attended training class at McCrometer (Great Plains Meter) in Aurora on May  18, 2015 to become certified in the repair and maintenance of McCrometer flow meters.  The LPNNRD meter maintenance program will inspect all flow meters but repair and maintenance will only be done on McCrometer meters within the Butler-Saunders SQS area.  Funding for this program will be a new budget item under Water Programs.

Field booklets with information page and aerial have been completed for SQS #1.  Most landowners and/or tenant have returned ‘permission’ sheet to have personnel of LPNNRD get the water level from their well.  Next goal is to complete review of each of the 30 sites in the field and inventory the required flow meters for these wells.  This will be completed by the June Board meeting in case 'cease and desist orders' need to be issued.

Rationale:  The last technical meeting was held on May 12, 2015 in Ord at the LLNRD.  Water Banking again was the central focus of the meeting.

The next basin managers meeting is scheduled for June 3, 2015.

The second Basin Water Banking Workshop has been set for Thursday, June 18, 2015 starting at 11:00 a.m. at the Central Community College - Columbus.

Rationale:  Staff have been reviewing the "Potential Water Banking Strategies for the LPNNRD" and the "Voluntary Integrated Management Plan for the LPNNRD" both from Olsson Associates.  After further review these will be presented to the Water Committee and Board for their review.

The latest draft of the Goals and Objectives from the Stakeholders Committee is attached.  

The next coordination meeting is scheduled for June 4 at 2:00 pm at Olsson's office in Lincoln.

Rationale: 

A couple of requests have been received since the last committee meeting.  Oaklund will order kits, bottles, and supplies from HHS.  Requested kits will be mailed in June.

Rationale: 

The Order for NAWMN was picked up from Klein Sales & Service in Osceola on May 26th.  The two ET gages were backordered and will be delivered via UPS in early June.  Aaron Nygren, UNL Extension Educator in Colfax County, will pick up this equipment for delivery/installation to the producer’s site.

 

Rationale: 

For 2015 this is the thirteenth year for this Phase 2 Area.  This area has been reduced from 32 sections to 21 sections.  Staff will collect a water sample from a well in each of the eleven sections removed (now in Phase 1, like the rest of our district).  These landowners/producers are encouraged to continue to sample their wells for the nitrate content in the irrigation water.

Rationale: 

For 2015 this is the twelfth year of this Phase 2 Area.  The 55 sections of this area will go into a Phase 3 Area September 1, 2015.  Also effective September 1, 2015, the ten sections immediately north of this area will become a Phase 2 Area.  These sections are:  Township 18 North, Range 2 East, sections 31 to 36; Township 18 North, Range 3 East, sections 31 to 34.  Staff will collect water samples from wells in these ten sections and continue sampling of some wells in the 55 sections that will go from a Phase 2 designation to Phase 3.

An informational meeting will be planned for July to inform producers of these changes.

Rationale: 

There have been four more on-line test requests since the last committee meeting.  Three of these have completed the test and a certification card was mailed.  

Cert #	Cert date	Name	Re-cert	Comments
6519	5/8/2015	Robert Meduna Jr	No	first-time
6520	5/8/2015	Michael Meduna	No	first-time
6521	5/21/2015	Dean Novak	Yes

 

Rationale: 

For 2014 we had a total of 463 chemigation permits.  Karen Rezac mailed the last reminder notice the week of May 18, 2015.  The renewal deadline is June 1st.  So far we have received 344 renewals and 39 new permit applications for a total of 383.  Approximately 120 permits have not been renewed.

Rationale:  No new permit applications have been received from DEQ.

Rationale: 

One new well has been reviewed and approved by Gottschalk for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.

 

Rationale:  Two wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.  See attached spreadsheet.

Well Owner	Type of Well	Cost Share Estimate	County
Mitchell Heusinkvelt	Hand dug well	$592.73	Saunders
Maquire Rev. Trust	Irrigation well	$485.36	Butler

 

Rationale: 

The training session to use the ELM MODFLOW model is still under review.  Previous training was not user friendly since several layers of different software were required to run the model.

 

Rationale:  The southern flight lines in eastern Nebraska have all been flown.  Full report is expected in late July.  Katie Cameron has sent us an example of what the future transects will look like, see attached map.

Rationale: 

The two ordered data loggers have been received.  Oaklund and interns (training) have installed one of these in the Brazda well (Swedeburg subarea) that was drill in 2014.  Oaklund (and Johannes?) will meet with Tracy McConnell of Grosch, N.B. to run camera to bottom of a well north of Richland.

Rationale: 

The summary of results with the hydrographs have been mailed to landowners/producers in the Uplands, Todd Valley, and Platte Valley areas.  Shell Creek information will be the next for mailing.

Angle updated the hydrographs and forwarded this information to Thompson to place on the LPNNRD website.

Rationale: 

The COE is having their open house and summer tour on May 27, 2015 starting at 4:30 pm.  Due to the late notice and the same day and time as the Water Committee, the LPNNRD will not be represented.

 

Rationale: 

Toxic Algae

NO LAKES are on “Health Alert” this week. It is DEQ policy that any lake that has microcystin levels over the established criterion of 20 ppb will be placed on “Health Alert” Status until such time that it has tested below 20 ppb for two continuous weeks. If a lake is under a Health Alert, signs will be posted recommending people avoid full body contact activities such as swimming, wading, skiing, jet skiing, etc. Non-contact activities such as boating, fishing, and camping are OK.  

 

Bacteria

EIGHT LAKES tested high for E. coli bacteria this week. E. coli levels measured above 235 colonies/100 ml of sample are considered a higher risk for illness when swimming.  Considering the more rapid changes in bacteria conditions, signs are not posted with these higher levels although DEQ want's people to be aware and use their own judgment on their use.  The Fremont State Lakes are part of this sampling network.

• Big Indian Creek Lake in Gage County
• Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County
• Conestoga Lake in Lancaster County
• Cub Creek Lake #12A in Jefferson County
• Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County
• Kirkman’s Cove in Richardson County
• Valentine Mill Pond in Cherry County
• Wirth Brothers Lake in Johnson County

Rationale:  Future Potential Ground Water Studies:

1. Deep Test Holes and Monitoring Wells, this is carryover from present fiscal year /
2. AEM flights over our SQS areas, dependent on getting grant funding
3. Ground Water elevation model of Wann Basin subarea, tracking contaminate plumes from Former Ordnance Plant near Mead.
4. Delineation of Tile Drains in LPNNRD, ground water inputs to streams / ~$30,000 for GIS work to $50,000 if include in-field work such as drone flights
5. Update of Farm Process Model near Ashland NE, previous study completed 3 years ago. / $11,160 each year for 3 years.
6. SENSE program 
7. TopIntel coupled with SENSE program

===================================== 

Proposed new budget Items

1. Master database, project has been delayed two years
2. Meter maintenance program

Rationale: 

The Summer Session is scheduled for June 10-12, 2015 in Coeur d'Alene Idaho.

Planning has begun for the Annual Conference scheduled for January 6-8, 2016 in Sacramento CA.  Angle will be heading this up.

 

Rationale: 

The three summer interns (Reid Beranek, Mike Bougger, and Tommy Geisler) went to Upper Elkhorn NRD at O’Neill, for Natural Resources Ground Water Technician training and testing.  Our interns need this training and license in order to sample wells and do chemigation inspections for the LPNNRD.

Rationale: 

No members of the general public were in attendance.

 

Rationale:  With no further business, the Water Committee adjourned at 7:40 p.m.