The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced that five Natural Resources Districts in Nebraska received more than $4.5 million in Watershed Flood Prevention and Operations (WFPO) funding. This funding will be directed toward developing watershed plans in the following NRDs: the Middle Niobrara NRD in Valentine, the Central Platte NRD in Grand Island, the Lower Big Blue NRD in Beatrice, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District in Norfolk. the Upper Niobrara-White NRD (UNWNRD) in Chadron,

The UNWNRD received WFPO funding to complete the Box Butte Creek Watershed Plan which will evaluate flood prevention, watershed protection and groundwater recharge projects. Box Butte Creek is a tributary of the Niobrara River with the watershed covering approximately 144,000 acres of northeast Box Butte and west-central Sheridan Counites.

“The WFPO funding from NRCS will help identify areas where flooding has frequently occurred and develop a plan to protect property, control flooding and utilize the water to recharge areas where groundwater levels have declined," said UNWNRD Board Chairman Dave Carlson. 

“We look forward to working with the Natural Resources Districts on these new watershed projects," said Nebraska State Conservationist Craig Derickson. "We saw how established watershed projects sprang into action last spring following the bomb cyclone reducing flood damages and protecting natural resources. These new projects plan to provide more benefits to more areas across Nebraska.”

NRCS State Conservation Engineer Allen Gehring will be the government representative for these projects. The planning process is estimated to be completed in two years.