February 26, 2026 at 9:30 AM - Water Committee Meeting

Rationale:  Larry Scott which Jeffery Scott is representing was approved for a variance in 2023. He applied for a well permit in spring 2024 (LPN-024-1872) and paid in November. The well permit lapsed as of November 2025. Jeffery is asking for an extension on his well permit application as he has a well driller waiting to drill the well.   Jeff drilled numerous test holes to find a location and then contacted Katie Cameron to assist in finding a location.  

Rationale:  Juranek Ag LLC would like to transfer irrigated acres from Butler County Solar LLC.  The tract SW S36-17N-3E is for 99.20 acres from NW S15-16N-1E, Butler County for 143.26 acres.  Staff have received the necessary paperwork.  Galen Juranek has applied for a replacement well permit for G-158723, which will be drilled in the SW NW Section 31-17-4, Butler County.
Staff presented the score of 237 for this tract, which when approving variances a minimum score of 300 is needed.  The Committee asked if one well would be sufficient in the future and was concerned about other water users in the vicinity.  They would like to ask Galen if he thinks he will need a supplemental well in the future and any water issues in the area.  

No action was taken by the Committee and staff will be contacting Galen.

Staff visited with Galen on Wednesday, March 4, to discuss his options.  Staff revisited the scoring sheet of this tract and Galen showed the location of the replacement well, which is east of the tract.  As this area had line breaks in this area of saturated thickness, specific yields and transmissivity, this changed the score to 280.12.  The groundwater consumptive use in the original tract was 24 acre feet with the receiving tract having 18.58 acre feet.     

Information attached

Rationale:  The hearing is set for March 9th at 11 am in the Board Room at Wahoo.  SPHEROS Environmental (LRE) will update the Committee on the progress of the scoring sheets and quantity rules and regulations.

A motion to approve the Groundwater Management Plan, March 2026 could be entertained.  

An invoice is attached for $4,115.50 from SPHEROS for work on these projects.  

 

Rationale:  Discussion on classification of wells, like changing an irrigation well to an Other or livestock well.  
Staff will work with Bob Meduna to present a policy for the next Committee meeting. 

Rationale:  Benjamin Klug - $2,325
Brazada Farm LLC - $2,246
David Sobota - $2,220 
Hill and Valley Farms INC - $1,500
Jason Swanson - $2,100
Jonathon Sobota - $468
Joseph Birkel - $3,534
Lukas Steinkruger - $2,982
Ronald Henggeler - $924
Ryan & Dean Preister - $4,356
Scott Cernin - $1,200
Travis Runge - $4,622
Upper Clear Creek LLC - $5,739
William Klug - $4,200
Wolfe Ranch LLC - $1,920
Lanny Schmid - $3,750 

Total - $44,086

A motion will be needed.

Rationale:  A meeting was held on February 25 at 10 am in Humphrey with about 30 producers in attendance.  Staff presented the information proposed by the Committee.  The only comment is that they do not like the rolling allocation. If the NRD requires a model for each new well by the producer, the NRD will have to extend a groundwater model into that area for producers to work from.   

Rationale:  RO Unit for Mike Inselman — 18.9 mg/L before installation. 
 

Rationale:  Invoice attached.  Staff explained that this is part of the service contract that will need to be paid after NRD staff starts using the software.  All the information is not in longitude at this time, but the plan is to have it going in March. Staff will hold onto to the payment until it is up and going.  

Rationale:  The final meeting will be held March 10th at ENREC starting at 6 pm.  Lindsay meeting was held on February 25 at 1 pm.

Rationale:  Upcoming Meetings:
March 2nd — Technical Committee will meet in Kearney (1-3)
March 18th — Management Committee will meet in Ord (11-1)
April 15th — Directors Meeting will meet in Wahoo (10 -12)

Bob Hilger is the LPN representative with Dave Saalfeld as alternate for the Directors Group.  There are 7 NRDs and DWEE in the Coalition.  

 

Rationale:  -A letter has been sent out to Linwood residents for domestic water sampling. This will take place the week of March 9th. The letter has also been posted to Linwood's Facebook account. Letter is attached below. 

-2026 water sample plan completed. 

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:  The following invoices have been received and are ready for payment. 

-Thomas Ficthl - 4 flow meters - $4,000
- Nancy/Jeremy Killham - 2 flow meters - $2,000
- Kathleen Liemsec - 1 flow meter - $1,000
- Robert Kluck Jr - 11 flow meters - $11,000

Total - $20,000

Rationale:  The City of Newman Grove is willing to have us put a nested dedicated monitoring well at their public golf course. Attached is a map of the location discussed.

Recommended Motion: Begin RFP process for monitoring wells in Newman Grove to be constructed by October 1st.

Rationale:  Malmo Desktop Contaminant Source Inventory and the in-field Contaminant Source Inventory have been completed. The aquifer analysis of the area is being reviewed by DWEE. The LPNNRD is currently working on the Contaminant Management Strategy Guide. Public Meetings for the Wellhead Protection Plan adoption are likely to begin in April.

Rationale:  In this presentation, current rules & regs are summarized for water quality management areas (stop on slide 5). At the next committee meeting, this presentation will include proposed changes.