Lower Elkhorn NRD Board of Directors Finalize Decision to Provide Support for City of Wayne Prairie Park Project

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At the May 23rd LENRD Board Meeting, Directors Approved a motion to provide $150,000 in financial support for the City of Wayne Prairie Park Project. The funds will be distributed in $50,000 increments over a three-year period. Jill Brodersen, Wayne City Council President, and Jason Karsky, Wayne City Council member, were present to answer questions directors may have about the project. Brodersen and Karsky explained that the funds are needed for a bathhouse/bathroom for the project. Currently, the only bathrooms available in the park are located near the ballfields and not accessible 24/7 or ADA compliant.

 The Prairie Park project is a Community Redevelopment project that allowed the City to decommission an old sewage lagoon and turn it into a recreational area with the possibility of the addition of workforce housing in the future. Once completed, the park will not only be the largest recreational area in City history, but also the largest public recreational facility in Wayne County. The project is approximately 40% completed and will include a lake feature and camper pads as well as native prairie grasses and numerous trees.

Along with approving the financial support, Directors also approved entering a Memorandum of Understanding with the City. The memorandum will contain the terms and payment schedule and will state that the City is responsible for the ownership and upkeep of the park.

Update provided on North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Plan

Directors were given an update on the North Fork Elkhorn River Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) plan. Andrea Gebhart, Project Manager, and Ann Nissen, Water Resources Engineer, with JEO Consulting Group were present to provide the update.

Gebhart provided a project overview and recap of how much has been accomplished on the plan since work first began in fall 2023. The group only has 18 months to put together a plan whereas the typical timeframe is 24 months. She also talked about the existing flooding conditions in the communities of Pierce and Osmond as well as alternatives that are currently being evaluated by the group and Study Advisory Team.

Nissen explained the alternatives consist of both structural and non-structural (building modification) options. Screening criteria for each option being considered are purpose and need, feasibility, practicality, effectiveness, impacts, permitting, local input, cost, and benefit/cost ratio. Alternatives currently being explored for each community include:

  • Osmond

    • Structural – Levees/berms

    • Non-structural

  • Pierce

    • Structural – Channel modifications, detention cells, levees/berms, and bridge/culvert improvements

    • Non-structural

A major focus for both JEO and the LENRD is including more engagement in the decision-making process. To achieve this, a Study Advisory Team consisting of stakeholders within the watershed was established at the beginning of the project, and an additional opportunity to attend an open house and provide input was scheduled for the middle of the project.

The first round of open houses for the North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO were held on November 6th and November 8th 2023 in Osmond and Pierce respectively. The next round of open houses are planned for the evenings of Tuesday, June 25th in Pierce and Wednesday, June 26th in Osmond. Currently, the group is on track to submit a draft plan to the State late this summer.

Certification of Acres Hearing and Action

A public hearing was held to certify irrigated acres. Approximately 125 fields were approved for certification by the Board. Certification is not only necessary to best conserve, protect, develop, and manage natural resources within the District but also to recognize landowners’ abilities to irrigate Certified Irrigated Acres.

Other Happenings in the Lower Elkhorn NRD

  • The deadline to renew a chemigation permit is June 1st. After that date, it will be considered a new chemigation permit. The cost to renew is $20.

  • Practical Farmers of Iowa is hosting a Field Day with Junior & Katelyn and Gene & Julie Pfanstiel on Thursday, June 27th from 10:00-noon. A flyer with more information is available on our website.

  • Stars, Strolls & Smores is back for 2024! Mark your calendars and plan to join us on the following evenings:

    • Wednesday, June 19th @ 7:30 p.m. – Ta-Ha-Zouka Park, Norfolk

      • Learn about the Elkhorn River with Julie Wragge, LENRD Education Coordinator, and The Sound of Summer: The Cicada Song with T.J. Prochaska, UNL Associate Extension Educator

    • Wednesday, July 17th @ 7:30 p.m. – Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area, Stanton

      • Discover the many uses of wild plants that most people call “weeds” with Rachel Lynn Liester, Red Road Herbs Retreat & Learning Center and enjoy Telescope 101 – Stargazing App with Todd Young, Wayne State College Professor of Physics & Astronomy

    • Wednesday, August 14th @ 7:30 p.m. – Willow Creek State Recreation Area, Pierce

      • More information to come! Find us on social media or check out our website for more information.

 

To learn more about the 12 responsibilities of the Nebraska’s NRDs and how your local District can work with you and your community to protect your natural resources, visit www.lenrd.org and sign up for our monthly emails. The next board of directors meeting will be Thursday, June 27th at the LENRD office in Norfolk at 7:30 p.m. and on Facebook Live.