Do you have a windbreak in need of renovation?
Do you want to plant trees on your property, but you're not sure where to start? We'll help you develop a successful plan. We can provide cost-share up to 75% on trees, weed barrier, planting services, and tree removal. Give us a call before you begin your project. Call or email Todd Stewart to reserve your spot on the list for the 2021 planting season - 402-371-7313 or tstewart@lenrd.org
The City of Randolph will break ground this week on a flood control project that has been in the making for 18 years.
The groundbreaking ceremony will be this Friday, November 6 at 11:00 a.m. near the city’s RV parking area, west of Sholes Road and east of Nebraska Street. Representatives from the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE), the City of Randolph, and the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) will be speaking at the ceremony. All three governmental entities are partnering on this project, along with Pierce and Cedar Counties.
One of the LENRD’s 12 responsibilities is flood prevention and control. LENRD Projects Manager, Curt Becker, said, “After looking into many alternatives with the USACE, the most cost-effective option was the widening of the Middle Logan Creek channel that runs through Randolph. This project will allow for a large portion of the city to be taken out of the 100-year flood plain.”
In 2017, the LENRD board approved funding up to $1.97 million for 50% of the local costs of the channel enlargement and floodplain reduction project. Becker, said, “We created a sinking fund for the project and budgeted money responsibly over the last several years to help protect the future of this community.”
The construction contract for Phase 1 of the flood risk management project was awarded to Shinn Kellogg of Albia, Iowa, for $5.78 million. Phase 1 will include removing and replacing the Bridge Street and Sholes Road Bridges and widening the Middle Logan Creek channel from just downstream of the Jackson Street Bridge to upstream of the Sholes Road Bridge.
Becker, said, “This flood control project will prevent numerous homes and businesses from being placed in the flood plain. He added, “We are not only working to protect the community from future flood events, but also to prevent the required annual flood insurance costs. We are excited to get the project underway.”
Phase 2 work will include continuation of bridge removals and channel widening with contract award anticipated in the summer of 2021 and completion in the spring of 2024.
Randolph - existing condition
Randolph - with completed project
At their October meeting, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors approved a motion to direct staff to begin the formal process for consideration of a Phase 2 Groundwater Management Area in portions of Cuming, Colfax, and Dodge counties for groundwater quality purposes.
In 1997, a Groundwater Management Area was established to improve and protect groundwater quantity and quality. The management area covers the entire LENRD or all or parts of 15-counties in northeast Nebraska. This designation put the entire district into Phase 1 of groundwater management controls. Since that time, portions of Pierce and Madison Counties have moved into Phase 2 & 3 management sub-areas due to the increasing trend of nitrate concentration in the groundwater.
As part of the LENRD’s Groundwater Quality Sampling program, water samples are collected annually across the district to help document any changes or trends in groundwater quality, testing for general water quality parameters. This data is carefully scrutinized and can be used to delineate areas that have similar groundwater quality characteristics, such as areas that have high or low nitrate-nitrogen levels. LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “In the past few years, the district has seen an increase in nitrates in the groundwater in portions of these three counties.”
Organic and Inorganic fertilizers and livestock manure contain nitrogen that is either in the nitrate form or is easily converted to nitrate. Nitrate dissolves readily in water, and when this nitrate-containing water moves through the soil and below plant roots, it can very easily reach and contaminate groundwater.
Bruckner added, “We can work together to minimize the impact of agricultural contaminants on groundwater by encouraging, and in some cases, requiring the use of wise management practices. Designating a boundary is one of the first steps in establishing a management area.”
Bruckner continued, “As we begin the process of delineating a Phase 2 Groundwater Management Area, the district will be hosting educational workshops to inform stakeholders on the issues, answer questions on the implications of a Phase 2 Area, and come up with solutions to address this potential health risk. We will also be organizing a series of public meetings in this tri-county area in December to begin to inform and educate the public on the critical need to keep our water supply safe.”
Nitrate-nitrogen can be a threat to good health, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Nebraska Department of Health have established an upper limit of 10 milligrams per liter (or parts per million or ppm) of nitrate-nitrogen for drinking water. The district encourages anyone using a private well as a drinking water source to test their water annually for nitrate-nitrogen and consult a physician if the nitrate-nitrogen levels are close to or above 10 milligrams per liter.
State statute requires that the LENRD provide stakeholders the opportunity to provide feedback and input on any proposed change to its Rules and Regulations or Management Area boundary via a public hearing. The district will be hosting several public information meetings in December in Colfax and Dodge Counties to inform stakeholders and will also host an Open House Public Hearing in late January in West Point.
In other business, the board authorized staff to sign the professional service agreement with FYRA Engineering, not to exceed $80,346 to complete the necessary repairs to the Elkhorn River Streambank Stabilization Project near Scribner, pending approval from both the City of Scribner and Dodge County.
The board also approved an agreement with the University of Nebraska for $34,291 to investigate the deep vadose (unsaturated) zone of locations in Pierce County where increasing nitrate levels are occurring. This project will provide data to help estimate the loading rate of nitrates into the groundwater.
After officially declaring a drought in September, the board continues to monitor any new developments. With the health and welfare of the public in mind, the board voted to establish a 12 acre-inch annual allocation for any well located in a designated Wellhead Protection Area (WHPA) within a D3 or greater drought area within the LENRD on November 1, 2020, and that the annual allocation be lifted if the area is removed from the D3 or greater designation. The board also approved a motion that would postpone construction of any new well that is part of an approved Variance for any location within the district that intersects with a D3 or greater drought designation on November 1, 2020.
The LENRD board & staff meet each month to develop and implement management plans to protect our natural resources for the future. The next LENRD board meeting will be Tuesday, November 24th at 7:30 p.m. Watch for further updates and stay connected with the LENRD by subscribing to their monthly emails.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced up to $30 million is available in technical and financial assistance through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP) to help conservation partners protect and restore critical wetlands on agricultural lands in Nebraska. Restored wetlands help improve water quality downstream, enhance wildlife habitat, reduce impacts from flooding, and provide recreational benefits.
“This partnership enhances the locally driven process to better address critical wetland functions that progress beyond localities,” said Kevin Norton, acting Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). “WREP works with other NRCS landscape-level conservation efforts to coordinate the delivery of conservation assistance to producers in targeted areas that yield the most impacts for accelerated benefits nationally and regionally. Continuing to leverage these partnerships helps us continue the important work with producers to help recover the health of wetland ecosystems on working lands.”
Eligible conservation partners in Nebraska will work through WREP to voluntarily execute high priority wetland protection, restoration, and enhancement activities on eligible agriculture lands. WREP enables effective integration of wetland restoration on working agricultural landscapes, providing meaningful benefits to farmers and ranchers who enroll in the program and to the communities where the wetlands exist.
NRCS will review partners’ project proposals and evaluate priority resource concerns, objectives, costs, and expected outcomes for each project and rank proposals based on criteria set forth in the requirements listed on each state’s NRCS website.
Proposals should be emailed to the NRCS state contact listed in the local announcement by November 30, 2020.
About the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership
Funding will be provided through the Wetland Reserve Enhancement Partnership (WREP), which is part of the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP), a Farm Bill conservation program. Through WREP, states, local units of governments, non-governmental organizations, and American Indian tribes collaborate with NRCS through cooperative and partnership agreements. These partners work with tribal and private landowners who voluntarily enroll eligible land into easements to protect, restore, and enhance wetlands on their properties.
WREP partners are required to contribute a financial or technical assistance fund match.
Wetland Reserve Easements enable landowners to successfully reduce impacts from flooding, recharge groundwater, enhance and protect wildlife habitat, and provide outdoor recreational and educational opportunities. Healthy wetlands, including those protected and restored through WREP, contribute to USDA’s Agriculture Innovation Agenda of reducing the environmental footprint of U.S. agriculture in half by 2050. Earlier this year, Secretary Perdue announced the department-wide initiative to align resources, programs, and research to position American agriculture to better meet future global demands.
Partners benefit from WREP by targeting outreach and enrollment priorities supported by NRCS, including places impacted by natural disasters. Easements enable landowners to adopt a variety of conservation practices that improve the function and condition of wetlands.
Partners looking to learn more about opportunities for WREP funding for fiscal year 2021 are encouraged to attend the WREP workshop on October 22, 2020, at 1 p.m. EDT. Visit the WREP webpage for more information on the workshop or this program opportunity.
Farmers and ranchers interested in preventing erosion, improving soil health, conserving water and wildlife, or making any other natural resource conservation improvements to their property are encouraged to apply now for funding available from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Those interested in receiving funding should sign up before Nov. 20, 2020.
According to Craig Derickson, state conservationist for NRCS in Nebraska, there are several options available to producers.
“NRCS has a whole suite of conservation programs available to farmers and ranchers looking for assistance in improving and protecting the natural resources on their ag land. These programs provide funding on cropland and rangeland, as well as for animal feeding operations and establishing or enhancing wildlife habitat and wetlands. NRCS staff can help landowners and operators identify their options,” Derickson said.
The most widely applied conservation programs in Nebraska are the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP).
The goal of these conservation programs is to provide a financial incentive to encourage landowners to install conservation practices that protect natural resources, resulting in cleaner air and water, healthy soil and more wildlife habitat.
“Participation in our conservation programs are totally voluntary. We offer assistance that can help make farming and ranching operations more sustainable while conserving the natural resources like soil and water on which all Nebraskans depend, “ Derickson said.
Individuals interested in applying for conservation funds may do so at any time, but the ranking of applications will begin Nov. 20, 2020. The first step is to visit your local NRCS field office and complete an application.
For more information about these conservation programs and other assistance available, visit your local NRCS field office or www.ne.nrcs.usda.gov.
Landowners within the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) boundaries, may apply for new irrigated acres in some portions of the district between October 1st, 2020 and October 31st, 2020.
Geographic portions of the district that are eligible to be considered for standard variances are areas that fall within the top three categories of the classification map. Excluded from consideration for this sign-up period will be any parcel of land located in any Quantity Management Subarea or Phase 3 Area located within the LENRD.
LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “The board also approved a minimum soil score of 85, which must be met for any standard variance to be considered for approval.”
Please call the LENRD office for more information or to make an appointment with staff. The map and application form are available below. Deadline to apply is October 31st.
At their September meeting, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors voted to officially declare a drought across the district, which is comprised of all or parts of 15 counties in northeast Nebraska. The LENRD board will continue to meet and discuss potential plans to respond if conditions worsen to a D4 drought. Their Drought Mitigation Plan is used to protect the health and welfare of the public as directed by the LENRD’s Groundwater Management Plan.
In other business, the board voted to establish the average cost of Deep Soil Sampling for Fiscal Year 2021 as $55.99 per sample and to limit the number of cost-shareable samples to 1 sample per every 25 acres.
The board approved a contract with Derek and Austin Becker of Norfolk to complete Flow Meter Preventative Maintenance Services in the LENRD’s portion of Knox, Cedar, Dixon, Wayne, and Thurston Counties.
The board also certified 129 parcels of irrigated acres at the certification hearing held during the board meeting.
The LENRD board & staff meet each month to develop and implement management plans to protect our natural resources for the future. The next LENRD board meeting will be Thursday, October 22nd at 7:30 p.m. Watch for further updates and stay connected with the LENRD by subscribing to their monthly emails.
Do you have an interest in trying cover crops on your farms? Have you read about ways to improve soil health and are you wondering if they will work on your land? If the answer is yes, keep reading to find the assistance you need to get started.
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to encourage landowners to participate in the Cover Crop Incentive Program, for land that is currently in a continuous no-till cropping system.
NRCS No-till Specialist, Dan Gillespie, said, “Cover crops enhance rainfall infiltration, drastically reduce soil erosion, suppress weeds, and help prevent the development of ephemeral gully erosion in cropland.” He added, “Cover crops may be planted into corn, soybean or small grain fields. Highly Erodible Land (HEL) fields where corn has been cut for silage are not eligible.”
Each participant is eligible to enroll up to 80 acres with a $200 contract minimum. Participants in this practice should apply at their local NRCS office each year, for up to three consecutive years. Applicants may pick from three cover crop seeding options and three cover crop seed mixture options.
LENRD Projects Manager, Curt Becker, said “Participants may change seed mix alternatives and options during the three-year period, but must have approval from the LENRD prior to planting the cover crop.” Becker added, “The producer is responsible for obtaining their own seed according to NRCS specifications and arranging for seeding either by pilot or ground application. Producers also must kill the cover crop per NRCS Cover Crop Termination Guidelines, without inversion tillage.”
Funding is limited, anyone interested in applying for the Cover Crop Program should contact their local NRCS office for more details.
With the heat of summer now mostly done, the trees and shrubs will begin to get prepared for the fall and winter months. Fall is a transition time for long lived plants like trees that are switching over from the active growing season to the season of dormancy and maintenance through the winter. With only a couple of months left before a hard freeze for the above ground plant tissue followed by soil freeze-up that shuts down the root systems, it is important to help keep the tree healthy and growing up until the temperatures stop growth for the year. The more energy and water the plant can store up in the fall, the better it will look next spring.
If September and October are dry, then watering young and establishing trees is important during this time to keep the root system healthy and growing up until the ground freezes. Having a good moist soil will keep the roots growing until the ground temperatures drop into the upper 30 degrees. This will allow the roots to keep sending water up to the buds that have already been set for next year and keep evergreen needles hydrated so they do not “winter burn”. Good moisture in the buds (vegetative and flower) will help them make it through the dry winter months. Do not wait until November and right before ground freeze-up since that will not allow the tree time to get the water up to the buds.
Do not fertilize during late fall since that could stimulate green tissue growth in the crown of the tree that would then be killed with an early frost. Wait until the tree is dormant and early spring is a good time for fertilization if needed. Fertilize only if there is a need for additional nutrients for healthy tree growth.
Another good project to do in the fall for trees is to check the organic mulch around the base of the trees. This mulch will insulate the ground and keep the roots healthy going into the winter and starting up growth in the spring. Place the woodchips out to the dripline of small trees or out two to four feet radius on larger trees. Coarse woodchips are the best since they hold in place, allow oxygen to the soil and decompose over time to introduce nutrients to the soil. Avoid grass clippings since they can mat down. This restricts oxygen to the soil and sheds off the water.
Finally, if you have young trees and there are rabbits or deer that come around your property, you may want to put a cage, a tree shelter or tree wrap around the tree. Deer, rabbits and rodents will eat the green tissue of plants during the winter months as a food source. Buck deer will also use younger trees for rubbing the velvet off the antlers and to mark their territories. Tree wraps on thin bark trees like maples and lindens can help against potential frost crack damage during the winter months. These wraps should be taken off during the summer.
If you need forestry assistance or have tree questions you can visit the Nebraska Forest Service website at nfs.unl.edu or contact me at my office number of 402-375-0101 or e-mail at srasmussen2@unl.edu Have a wonderful fall!
The fiscal year 2021 budget for the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) reflects projects and programs that will protect our future while fully leveraging local taxpayer dollars as efficiently as possible.
LENRD General Manger, Mike Sousek, said, “We continue to maximize the use of our local funds by bringing in grants for our projects and saving the taxpayers millions of dollars. The total operating budget is estimated at $13 million, with only $4.5 million in revenue from the property tax levy.”
Sousek continued, “The citizens of this district receive almost a 75% return on their investment. We’re working for you, our local taxpayers, to keep the levy low as we’re currently using less than ½ of our taxing authority.”
The operating budget was approved by the LENRD board of directors at their September 10th meeting with a tax request of $4,512,659. The estimated levy, based on the property tax request, is 2.436 cents per $100 of valuation, which is a slight increase from the fiscal year 2020 levy of 2.370 cents per $100 of valuation. For example, if a person owns a $300,000 house, the taxes owed to the LENRD would have been $71.10 in 2020 and will be approximately $73.10 in 2021.
Some of the major expenditures for FY 2021 are: Levee and Flood Protection Projects - $1,903,150 which includes the City of West Point’s Flood Control Levee, the City of Randolph’s Flood Risk Management Project, and the Elkhorn River Jetty Project near Scribner; Water Resources Programs - $543,025; Project Construction, including flood related repairs - $1,310,250; and Conservation Cost-Share programs, including the Bazile Groundwater Management Area Project and Willow Creek Best Management Practices - $550,000.
The LENRD received Watershed Flood Prevention and Operations (WFPO) funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to complete the Maple Creek Watershed Plan to evaluate potential flood prevention, watershed protection, and agricultural water management projects. Four communities are located within the watershed: Leigh, Clarkson, Howells, and Nickerson. The LENRD is also moving ahead with the Battle Creek Watershed Improvement Project Work Plan – Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) to address flood reduction in Madison County.
The LENRD received a grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) to expand groundwater monitoring in Pierce County. Maintaining a safe drinking water source is one of the most important priorities of the LENRD. The Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) also received a grant from NET for year 2 of their demonstration sites for the groundwater nitrate reduction project. This project is a vital step forward in stabilizing, and eventually reducing, nitrate levels within the BGMA.
Sousek added, “Through these projects and studies, we’re proud to give the funds back to the local taxpayers. We’re working very diligently to be responsible with our budget as we continue to meet the challenges of protecting our natural resources for the future.”
The LENRD provides conservation benefits across all or parts of 15-counties in northeast Nebraska, including: water quality and quantity programs such as groundwater management, flood control, and nitrate management; as well as erosion control, cost-share to landowners who apply for conservation practices, recreation areas and trails, urban recreation and community forestry programs, and many other benefits that protect our natural resources.
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD), serving all or parts of 15 counties in northeast Nebraska, was recently awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD). The NACD grant will be utilized to pay 80% of the wages and benefits for a Conservation Planner, and the LENRD will contribute the remaining 20%. The Conservation Planner will be housed in the Pierce County NRCS office in Pierce.
Much of Pierce County has issues with high groundwater nitrate levels, with most of the county in the LENRD's Phase 2 or Phase 3 area. These areas are subject to increased regulation due to the high groundwater nitrate levels. The LENRD and NRCS currently are targeting Pierce County as they promote Best Management Practices (BMPs) that would aid in decreasing nitrate levels.
LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “To deal with the increased workload and to successfully achieve the goals of the NRCS, an additional conservation planner is needed. This employee will provide vital assistance in promoting and creating nutrient management plans and irrigation water management plans. The planner will primarily focus on nutrient management and irrigation water management, but they will also assist with other BMPs that promote water quality and soil health and provide necessary assistance in getting BMPs on the ground.”
This event has been moved to the Creighton Senior Center due to the predicted forecast.
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) will conduct public hearings and certify irrigated acres on September 24, 2020 at 7:30 p.m. These hearings will be held at the LENRD office located at 1508 Square Turn Boulevard in Norfolk. The attached list of individuals are those who have fields in the Certification Hearing. If questions arise, please contact Mike Murphy at 402-371-7313.
Landowners within the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) boundaries, will have an opportunity to apply for new irrigated acres in some portions of the district this fall.
The LENRD board voted, at their August meeting, to allow up to 295 acre-feet of new stream water depletions for new groundwater irrigation development in the Hydrologically Connected or 10/50 Area. This is in accordance with their Voluntary Integrated Management Plan. They also voted to allow up to 2,500 acres of new groundwater irrigation development in the Non-Hydrologically Connected or Non 10/50 Area under the district’s standard variance process. An approved variance is a requirement for any expansion of irrigated acres in the LENRD, whether from an existing or new irrigation well.
Geographic portions of the district that are eligible to be considered for standard variances are areas that fall within the top three categories of the classification map. Excluded from consideration for this sign-up period will be any parcel of land located in any Quantity Management Subarea or Phase 3 Area located within the LENRD.
LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “The board also approved the scoring sheets used by staff when processing applications and reauthorized use of the Conditions for Approval policy. In addition, a minimum soil score of 85 must be met for any standard variance to be considered for approval.”
The board established a sign-up period to receive applications for Standard Variances between October 1st, 2020 and October 31st, 2020. Please call the LENRD office for more information or to make an appointment. Application forms will be available online and at the LENRD office beginning October 1st.
At their August meeting, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors voted to establish a sign-up period to receive applications for Standard Variances, for new irrigated acres, between October 1st, 2020 and October 31st, 2020.
LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “Geographic portions of the district that are eligible to be considered for standard variances are areas that fall within the top three categories of the classification map. A map of the eligible locations will be available at the LENRD office in Norfolk by Friday, September 4th.”
Excluded from consideration for this sign-up period will be any parcel of land located in any Quantity Management Subarea or Phase 3 Area located within the LENRD. Applications will be available online and at the office beginning October 1st.
After discussing the drought conditions across the district, the board authorized an additional two acre-inches per acre for any irrigation well subject to an Annual Groundwater Allocation in the LENRD Quantity Management Subareas, for the establishment of cover crops this fall.
In other action, the board instructed staff to provide a letter of support as part of a grant application to the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) for the establishment of a UNL Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) demonstration site within the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA), and to devote up to $1,000 in financial assistance to the effort, contingent on approval of the grant request. The demonstration sites recruit local producers who select from a menu of management decisions intended to help maximize input use efficiency.
Earlier this summer, the LENRD received Watershed Flood Prevention and Operations (WFPO) funding from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to complete the Maple Creek Watershed Plan which will evaluate potential flood prevention, watershed protection, and agricultural water management projects. The board voted to sign a contract with FYRA Engineering, LLC to complete the Maple Creek WFPO Plan and Environmental Assessment.
LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “This plan aims to reduce overall flood risk potential and support the largely agricultural economy in the Maple Creek Watershed. With the help of the WFPO funding, this project will surpass previous planning efforts by focusing on the entire area, where previous studies have been smaller in scope.” He added, “We are looking forward to working with FYRA to further define the need for potential flood reduction projects to protect the watershed.” Four communities are located within the Maple Creek Watershed: Leigh, Clarkson, Howells, and Nickerson.
The board also voted to work with a landowner in Stanton County to obtain a well permit for an illegal well. If all required documentation is provided, staff will issue the permit, but the cease and desist order shall remain in place for 5 years, expiring on July 25, 2025. The 5-year limitation is consistent with the LENRD’s past enforcement of rule violations.
In other business, the board voted to approve the updates to the average cost dockets for the Agroforestry and Conservation Cost-share Programs as recommended by the staff. They also voted to hold their fiscal year Budget Hearing at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, September 10th at the LENRD office in Norfolk.
The LENRD board & staff meet each month to develop and implement management plans to protect our natural resources for the future. The next LENRD board meeting will be Thursday, September 24th at 7:30 p.m. Watch for further updates and stay connected with the LENRD by subscribing to their monthly emails.
The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD), serving all or parts of 15 counties in northeast Nebraska, was recently awarded a technical assistance grant from the National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD).
This is the third year of the NACD technical assistance grant program, which was created with funds from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to help increase staffing at the field level and provide conservation services to farmers, ranchers and local communities across the U.S.
The NACD grant will be utilized to pay 80% of the wages and benefits for a Conservation Planner, and the LENRD will contribute the remaining 20%. The Conservation Planner will be housed in the Pierce County NRCS office in Pierce.
Much of Pierce County has issues with high groundwater nitrate levels, with most of the county in the LENRD's Phase 2 or Phase 3 area. These areas are subject to increased regulation due to the high groundwater nitrate levels. The LENRD and NRCS currently are targeting Pierce County as they promote Best Management Practices (BMPs) that would aid in decreasing nitrate levels.
LENRD Assistant Manager, Brian Bruckner, said, “To deal with the increased workload and to successfully achieve the goals of the NRCS, an additional conservation planner is needed. This employee will provide vital assistance in promoting and creating nutrient management plans and irrigation water management plans. The planner will primarily focus on nutrient management and irrigation water management, but they will also assist with other BMPs that promote water quality and soil health and provide necessary assistance in getting BMPs on the ground.”
“Since 2018, NACD and NRCS have worked together to increase staffing at the field level for conservation districts,” NACD President Tim Palmer said. “This increased technical capacity helps to improve conservation services to farmers, ranchers and local communities across the nation.”
To date in 2020, NACD and NRCS have awarded $15 million in technical assistance grants. Since the program’s inception, NACD has funded technical assistance in all 50 states and three U.S. territories.
“Even in this time of a national emergency, farmers and ranchers have conservation concerns that need to be addressed,” Palmer said. “NACD is proud to provide funding to America’s conservation districts and allow for more boots on the ground, providing our growers with support for their individual landscapes and resource concerns.”
The National Association of Conservation Districts is the non-profit organization that represents the nation’s 3,000 conservation districts, their state associations and the 17,000 men and women who serve on their governing boards. For more than 70 years, local conservation districts have worked with cooperating landowners and managers of private working lands to help them plan and apply effective conservation practices. For more information about NACD, visit: www.nacdnet.org
A free scrap tire collection will be held for residents and businesses in Burt, Colfax, Cuming, Dakota, Dodge, Douglas, Sarpy, Stanton, Thurston and Washington counties. The Lower Elkhorn NRD, Papio Missouri River NRD, and Nebraska Loess Hills RC&D Council have organized the collection for Friday, August 28, 2020 from 8:00 a.m. until 12-noon at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Scribner, NE. The fairgrounds are located west of Hwy 275 at 201 Fairacres Road. Tires will NOT be accepted from businesses that charge tire disposal fees.
Loads must enter from Fairacres Road. Follow the “Recycling Event” signs to the east fairground entrance on Fairacres Road. Each load is limited to 100 tires. Loads with less than 20 tires may have a shorter wait time during the last 90 minutes of the collection. All sizes of car, truck, semi and tractor tires will be accepted. No rims will be accepted so ALL tires must be off rim. Tires cannot be accepted from any business which charges a tire disposal fee. Do not leave vehicles unattended in line. Limited unloading help will be available, so plan to unload your own. Be sure to arrive before the gates are locked at 12:00 p.m.
Champlin Tire Recycling will process the tires collected during the event. This processing includes repair and retread of salvageable casings, reclamation of tires meeting used tire specifications and the production of park benches, picnic tables and feed bunks. Funding for this free collection is provided through a grant from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. For more information please contact Deborah Ward at the Papio Missouri River NRD (402) 374-1920 ext. 3.
At their July meeting, the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Board of Directors voted to approve an amendment to the Interlocal Agreement with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC) for the operation and maintenance of the Willow Creek State Recreation Area (SRA), southwest of Pierce. The amendment will provide for an annual payment of $10,000 to the NGPC to fund employees of the Commission to complete tasks previously performed by employees of the district.
The district’s partnership with the NGPC has been ongoing since the SRA opened to the public in 1984. The LENRD owns the property and is in a lease agreement with the NGPC for the management of the area. The flood control structure protects the City of Pierce and downstream landowners to just north of Norfolk. The SRA covers 1,633 acres, including a 700-acre reservoir, offering camping, fishing, boating, and more.
The LENRD board is also gathering more information and potential ways to reduce the toxic algae and improve water quality in the lake at the SRA. In May, the board signed a contract with FYRA Engineering to study the internal phosphorus loading within the Willow Creek reservoir. LENRD General Manager, Mike Sousek, said, “This is an introduction to a project that can help us to further understand the complexity of this issue and assist us in developing a plan to protect the water quality in the lake and the surrounding area.” The first step in the process involves the collection and analysis of core soil samples.
In other action, the board voted to help with the expenses of the 2020 Scrap Tire Collection at the Dodge County Fairgrounds in Scribner. The funds will be used for any expenses that are not covered by the Waste Reduction & Recycling Incentive Grant. The amount will be split 50-50 with the Papio-Missouri River NRD, not to exceed $10,000 of LENRD funds. The collection will be held in late August.
The LENRD board & staff meet each month to develop and implement management plans to protect our natural resources for the future. The next LENRD board meeting will be Thursday, August 27th at 7:30 p.m. Watch for further updates and stay connected with the LENRD by subscribing to their monthly emails.
Farmers and ranchers feed our state, our nation, and in fact, our world. You work long hours to provide essential resources for us all, and in these challenging times, I want you to know that USDA is here to support you and your operation through our Coronavirus Food Assistance Program, or CFAP. Whether you farm one acre or many more, grow food for local markets or big supply chains, CFAP can help. We’re accepting applications through August 28 and encouraging producers to apply now.
In Nebraska, we have already approved 25,813 applications and disbursed $460,103,800 as of July 20. I know many of you have applied for CFAP already, but the numbers indicate that some who are eligible have not. If you’re still unsure about CFAP and your operation, I encourage you to take five minutes today to visit farmers.gov/cfap or call 877-508-8364 to learn about eligibility and options to apply. Whether you’ve worked with FSA for years or this will be a first, we’re here to help you every step of the way.
CFAP provides direct relief to producers who faced price declines and additional marketing costs due to COVID-19. A range of commodities are eligible for CFAP, and in Nebraska includes corn, soybeans, sorghum, millet, cattle, hogs, dairy, sheep and wool, among a few others. You can access the full list of eligible non-specialty, specialty, livestock, dairy, and wool commodities by visiting farmers.gov/cfap.
We know you’re busy, so we’ve outlined options to apply at the top of farmers.gov/cfap website. We offer a CFAP Application Portal where those of you with eAuthentication accounts can submit your application online. Don’t have an eAuthentication account? You can enroll at farmers.gov/sign-in. We also offer a manual application option, and a CFAP Application Generator and Payment Calculator that allows you to input information specific to your operation to determine estimated payments and populate the application form. You can then work with your local FSA office to submit the completed application. You can apply now for the commodities that are currently eligible, and if any other commodities you produce are added to the program, we will happily amend your application.
If you have questions, please let us know. You can call our CFAP Call Center for one-on-one support with the CFAP application process. Call 877-508-8364 to speak directly with a USDA employee ready to offer personalized assistance. And, as always, the FSA office at your local USDA Service Center is also there to help you prepare your application.
Farmers and ranchers continue to be the backbone of our nation. I know Nebraska’s agricultural producers are facing unprecedented challenges with the coronavirus pandemic, and I want to make sure we at USDA are doing all we can to provide critical support. We thank our farmers and ranchers, and we encourage you to apply for CFAP today.
The Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) announced recently that they will receive $209,500 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) for year two of the “Development of Research and Demonstration Sites in the BGMA for Groundwater Nitrate Reduction” project. The project is one of the 118 projects receiving $20,000,000 in grant awards from the Nebraska Environmental Trust this year.
Located in northeastern Nebraska, the BGMA was formed collaboratively between the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, the Upper Elkhorn Natural Resources District, the Lower Niobrara Natural Resources District, the Lewis and Clark Natural Resources District, and the Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to address high nitrate levels in the area. Since its formation in 2013, the BGMA has been dedicated to increasing education of agricultural producers and increasing the implementation of best management practices. To further this effort, the BGMA has partnered with the Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska, to design the proposed project. This project will develop three advanced nitrogen and water management research and demonstration sites, conduct annual field days and educational meetings, and provide an analysis of the success of various water and nitrogen application methods utilized. Through innovative education and demonstration, this project will encourage widespread adoption of improved practices, positively impacting ground and surface water quality and soil management. This project is a vital step forward in stabilizing, and eventually reducing, nitrate levels within the BGMA as experts in natural resources management, with the help of NET, target this serious issue.
The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided over $328 million in grants to over 2,300 projects across the state. Anyone – citizens, organizations, communities, farmers and businesses – can apply for funding to protect habitat, improve water quality and establish recycling programs in Nebraska. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources for future generations.
Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts were formed to help Nebraskans respond to natural resources challenges with local control and local solutions. The Lower Elkhorn NRD is ready to help you conserve and care for your water, soil, trees, and wildlife. Protecting Lives. Protecting Property. Protecting the Future.
Protecting Lives. Protecting Property. Protecting the Future.
Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District • 1508 Square Turn Boulevard • Norfolk, NE 68701 • lenrd@lenrd.org
Phone: 402.371.7313 • Office Hours: 8am-4:30pm M-F
