April 26, 2023 at 6:00 PM - Water Committee Meeting

Rationale:  The committee took no action but wanted staff to discuss this issue with Jovan before the May Board meeting.  They want to know what options are available before proceeding.  The plan is to have Jovan's opinion at the May Board Meeting and discuss it at the next Water Committee with options presented.  

A new well variance was approved in October 2011 for S4-15N-1E in Butler County with additional acres approved later. Notes from previous discussion of this variance "The original application was 70 acres with the Board approving 35.67 acres at the Jan. 2012 Board Meeting
This irrigation well (G-161259) has been reporting water use reports since approval, with the 2022 water use at 7.08 inches/acre and the previous 7 years averaging 2.76 inches/acre.
Attachments show a map of the current irrigation areas along with the LPNRD approval letter and map from 2012. 

Additional staff comments: 
I’ve went through the folders but don’t find any reference, condition, regarding the field berms.  Comments on the berms were discussed on the tape transcripts at the January 2012 Board Meeting.

•  First Variance  LPN-V-011-0109 -  New water well variance [for 145 acres]
• Well Permit LPN-011-1213 was filed within 90 days of (above) variance approval
• 2nd Variance LPN-V-0125-0147 - Expanded Water Use Variance from Existing Well [for additional 35.67 acres]

Email comments from Joe Peterson: Pictures attached.  
"Hello,
 
I've attached the requested pictures of the water/silt runoff, and pivot.
 
There are pictures of the dump truck getting stuck ~2400' from the neighboring fence line where the runoff enters, at the beginning of last August during the drought.
 
There is also a picture of a tree which was recently unearthed by a heavy rain, but was buried several feet down from runoff from the northwest corner. This tree is ~1300 feet east of the northwest fence corner. This is the spot where the fence has also been buried and we had to install new fence on top of all the new soil.
Thank you,"
 
Joseph R Peterson - CWI
Biological and Agricultural Engineer
Doomsday Diesel LLC - Owner

 

Rationale: 

Wells Permits Approved: #

Landowner	Number of Wells	Number of New Irrigated Acres	Type of Well	County	Subarea

 

 

 

 

 

 

The total number of approved permits for 2022 is #

Location of Approved Well Permits for 2022:  Correct as of ####

County	Irrigation - New	Irrigation - Replacement	Stock	Commercial	Municipal	Other	Total
Butler
Colfax
Dodge
Boone
Madison
Platte
Saunders
Total

 

Rationale:  AGP in David City has irrigation well G-001157 and would like to convert it to a commercial well.  NeDNR is asking for NRD approval before approving the modification.  Should the condition of a flow meter with an annual water use report be required? 

Rationale:  Kevin Baker Jr. and Lisa Johnson are requesting a supplemental well to G-016279 in SW NW S19-17N-3E, Colfax County.  This field is in the Schuyler-Richland Nitrogen Management Area.  The existing well is registered at 700 GPM but has been declining after being sleeved.  A well was dug for a replacement well but only test pumped at 200-250 GPM.  There would not be any increase in irrigated acres.  

Rationale:  LPNNRD draft policy on approved water flow meters is attached.  

The committee discussed the draft policy and decided to keep with the current flow meter policy.  The current policy only allows mechanical propeller meters within the District.   

Rationale:  Tri-City has completed their third year of the routine inspection cycle in Zone 3, which is the northwestern part of the district, and will be finishing up with repairs sometime within the next two weeks. They serviced approximately 350 flow meters. There are 4 zones that make up the 4 year maintenance cycle. The meter maintenance zone map is attached. Tri-City also provides a final report that includes pictures of each flow meter before and after the service, along with the flow meter reading. 

Rationale:  Staff has been working on the list to identify individuals that have wells, tracts of land or farms within the LPN District.  The initial list had 698 people but now is at 243 from 2019-2023.  The next step is to start contacting people for additional confirmation.  

Rationale:  The Board Meeting was held April 12 in Lincoln.  The Board recommended that each member of the Coalition continue with the $10,000 annual dues and approved the annual V-IMP reports.  The dues will be utilized for projects like drought modeling, stream depletion factors, recharge calibrations etc.  The technical group looks at projects that will benefit the coalition and then brings the ideas to the NRD managers with the Board giving final approval.   
Presentations were given by LWS on the new proposed well field, Perkins canal and how the JEDI funds are being distributed.   

Attached is peak season depletion from each NRDs along with LPNNRD annual report. 

Rationale: 

As of today 4/26/2023, the office has received 279 renewals and 4 new permit applications for a current total of 283.  The inspection schedule thus far includes 4 new permits and 91 active renewal permits that were last inspected in 2020. 
 

Rationale:  Staff presented the spring water level information to the Committee and discussed the areas of concerns.  The committee was shown some graphs comparing 2012-13 to 2023, with 2023 water levels higher than 2012-13. 

Attached is information on spring water levels with graphs from the 4 regions.  The map shows the regions and sub-regions along with monitoring wells locations.  A spring 2022 to Spring 2023 comparison is attached with 91.5% of the wells lower this year.  
Staff have attached information from areas of concern within the District.  These are areas beyond SQS #1 and SQS #2, which are still a concern.  

Rationale: 

The LPNNRD has received # 0 livestock permit applications from DEQ since the last Water Committee meeting.
The Board did past a motion to stay neutral on livestock facilities and the NRD responsibility is with the permitting of high capacity wells.  Manure application is usually treated as any commercial fertilizer, which soil sampling and manure analysis should be conducted and handled by NDEE.  

Name	Livestock	Type of Permit	Legal Description	County

 

 

 Description of permit application

 

Rationale: 

# new wells has been reviewed and approved for decommissioning since the last Committee meeting.

 

Rationale: 

# wells have been plugged, reviewed, and ready for cost share payment approval this month.

Well Owner	Type of Well	Cost Share Estimate	County

 

Rationale:  Cost share update for the Schulyer-Richland Nitrogen Management Area. Attached is a complete list of Applications approved in April 2023 along with the running total below.  
 

• 46 Water Flow Meter Applications Approved for $46,000 ($170,000 in Grant)
• 2 Gravity to Pivot and 2 Gravity to SDI Applications Approved for $40,000 ($50,000 in Grant)
• 3 Cover Crop Applications Approved for 1,190 ($24,000 in Grant)
• 4 Soil Moisture Sensors Applications Approved for $3,000 ($7,500 in Grant)

The firm LRE is progressing on completing the data for GIS files on the bore holes and AEM flights.  This contract for $56,000 was approved in February 2023 with a completion date of August 2023.  Attached is an invoice for $10,357.40 from LRE.  This is part of the WSF BMP grant with a 60-40 split.

The Committee was OK with allowing one flow meter per irrigation system.  They also discuss manure credit for calculating agrononomic rates.  Manure credit can be utilized 3 years after application with smaller credits given each year.  

Rules pertaining to Phase 4.

Rule 3    Fertilizer Application On All Soils
Split application of commercial nitrogen fertilizer is required with 80 pounds maximum applied before May 1.

Rule 4    Nitrogen Recommendations
Nitrogen applications must not exceed District Recommendations. Application data may be required to verify the amount of nitrogen that is applied to the field(s) within the management area.

Rule 5    Well Metering
Flow meters are required on all high capacity wells.   
**Condition from NRD Approved Meter List
• A flow meter must be dedicated to each well. (Exceptions will be made if several wells are used to provide enough water to operate a single irrigation system such as a pivot or gated pipe. In these situations, a flow meter shall be placed at the central location where all the water can be metered).

**Is it OK to approve 1 water flow meter per irrigation system?

Rule 6    Acre-Inch Allocations
A rolling acre-inch allocation, in 3-year increments, will be put into place by the District and will be based on the aquifer subarea, crop planted, irrigation distribution system, percent decline of the aquifer, water use of the aquifer, climatic conditions, net corn crop requirements, and discretionary factors.

Rule 7    Staff Assistance
NRD Staff will work directly with individuals on Best Management Practices. Staff may spot check fields before May 1 by collecting a soil sample to monitor Rule 3.

Rationale:  Hello, All you Beachgoers!
Beach Watch will begin next week! My name is Justin Haas and I’ll be taking over Beach Watch from Mike Archer after his many years of service to the program. Thanks Mike! NDEE and our sampling partners are geared up for another season of beach monitoring for microcystin and E. coli bacteria. Sampling will be occurring at 55 beaches on 50 different lakes across the state of Nebraska from May 1^st to September 30^th. There are a few changes in beaches that will be sampled this year. Valentine Mill Pond, Summit Lake, and Wagon Train Lake will not be sampled this year. Valentine Mill Pond will not be sampled due to sedimentation of the pond. Summit Lake and Wagon Train Lake will not be sampled due to lake renovations.  Ogallala Beach at Lake McConaughy and Nunda Shoal at Calamus Reservoir will be added to the sampling list.

A "Health Alert" will be issued at beaches when the microcystin exceeds 8 ppb. When E. coli bacteria levels are measured above 235 colonies/100ml of sample a "Health Alert" will not be triggered, but conditions are considered a high risk for illness if water is ingested.  Unlike with dangerous levels of HABs, signs are not specifically posted and beaches are not closed for high bacteria levels. This is primarily because bacteria values change quickly while microcystin levels are more persistent and can remain for several weeks. 
If you would like more information on HABs follow the links below:

NDEE HABs Fact Sheet: http://deq.ne.gov/NDEQProg.nsf/OnWeb/ENV042607
EPA Nutrient Pollution and HABs: https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/harmful-algal-blooms

Have a great day!

Justin Haas
State Lakes Coordinator
Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy
P.O. Box 98922
245 Fallbrook Blvd., Suite 100
Lincoln, Nebraska 68509-8922
Direct: 402-471-4224 | Main office: 402-471-2186
 

Rationale:  GMDA Summer Conference is July 10-14 in Santa Fe, NM.  Interested in attending, please let staff know.