(GRAND ISLAND, NE) – The Central Platte Natural Resources District’s (CPNRD) board of directors lifted the 180-day temporary stay on new wells and new irrigated acres at their monthly board meeting on Thursday. The stay was implemented to update the Rules and Regulations for the Fully and Over Appropriated Area of the District. During the temporary stay, the acre transfer tool was updated and new depletion numbers were implemented. The new numbers were determined by the Cooperative Hydrology Study (COHYST) Groundwater Model used for the Groundwater Quantity Management Program.

The lift along with the new Rules and Regulations (approved in September) will be effective Thursday, November 1, 2018.

OTHER ACTION/AGENDA ITEMS

-Contract Amendment  The board approved Amendment #7 of the Upper Prairie/Silver/ Moores Flood Risk Reduction Project with JEO Engineering in the amount of $75,006. The amendment adds engineering services for the analysis, floodplain delineation, and preparation of the Letter of Map Revision (LOMR) as a follow up to the approved Conditional Letter of Map Revision. The LOMR application will be submitted for the purpose of formally revising the hydrologic/hydraulic analyses and floodplain mapping for Silver Creek and Moores Creek in the Hall County Flood Insurance Study and applicable Flood Insurance Rate Maps.  

-Wildlife Encounter Application  The board approved an Outdoor Classroom Community Grant application from the new Wildlife Encounter Discovery Center in Kearney, NE in the amount of $2,000. The funds will be used to build an augmented reality sandbox that is combined with 3D visualization applications. The sand is augmented in real-time with an elevation color map, topographic contour lines, and simulated water.

-Central NE Irrigation Project Update   Courtney Widup, water resources technician, gave an update on the Central Nebraska Irrigation Project. Widup said the goal of the project is to improve sustainability along the beef chain by using new technology such as the Arable Mark field-level weather and crop monitoring device to make real-time decisions. It collects over 40 different data streams on precipitation, ET, solar radiation, plant health, weather, harvest timing, wind, and soil moisture. The Project also includes use of pivot telemetry and flow meters. Widup said 19 low tech/no tech producers within the District enrolled in 2018. The Project would like a total of 50 producers enrolled by 2020. Partners include The Nature Conservancy, Nestlé Purina, and Cargill.

-Garage Expansion The board approved the bid of $7,506 from Hooker Brothers to do dirt work for garage expansion on the NRD grounds.

-Long Range Implementation Plan  The board approved the Long Range Implementation Plan for 2018-2023. An annual update of the Plan is required under the Nebraska Natural Resources District Act to summarize planned district activities and project financial, staff, and land right needs of the district for the next five years.

-Agreement on Easement Positions  The board approved an agreement with the Nebraska Community Foundation to reimburse Central Platte NRD for cost of a conservation easement specialist and easement administrative specialist.  Both positions will have offices at the Natural Resources Conservation Service office in Grand Island, NE.

-Nebraska Natural Resources Commission  Mick Reynolds, Middle Platte Basin representative, reported that the scoring committee met and will take their recommendations to the Commission board in December.

-November Events

Monday, Nov. 12   The NRD office will be closed on to observe Veterans Day.
Thursday, Nov. 15   Board of Directors meeting at 2:00 p.m.
Thurs-Fri. Nov. 22-23   The NRD office will be closed to observe the Thanksgiving holiday.