SPNRD News
Pipeline Newsletter Files
SPNRD Provides Funding For Preliminary Flood Drainage Study
At a special meeting July 1, the South Platte Natural Resources District Board of Directors approved District financing for a preliminary engineering study that could provide suggestions to protect properties in southeastern Sidney from flooding.
Board members agreed to commit up to $10,000 in a contract with J.M. Neil & Associates for engineering services to plan possible options to deal with runoff between the east Sidney interchange and areas along Fort Sidney Road.
In the past two summers, large rain events resulted in heavy runoff in Sidney’s East Drainage/Watershed. The runoff has adversely impacted some homes and businesses in the area.
In 2009, SPNRD, city, and local Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) officials began working with Nebraska NRCS regarding engineering services to keep costs down for local entities.
NRCS State Conservationist Steve Chick suggested the use of J.M. Neil & Associates, which contracts engineering services to assist NRCS. Company personnel are familiar with land treatment applications that may fit local needs. Land treatment options can include diversions, dams, waterways and other methods of controlling runoff, as opposed to larger, more costly projects.
A former NRCS engineer now contracted with J.M. Neil & Associates will review previous land use and drainage maps, then perform additional surveys to bring the information up to date. The information will be used by J.M. Neil & Associates and NRCS engineers to develop preliminary suggestions for possible treatment options and alternatives.
“NRCS officials indicate that everything is on the table in the way of treatment options,” said Don Ogle, SPNRD information and education coordinator. “They want to be able to give the best options possible to help protect the property and people in the area.”
Ogle said future development and use of the area will also be considered, with the hope that the area’s viability can be protected as well.
“We don’t know what the options will be yet, but the board is pleased to be able to help provide this study and see how the area can be protected in the future.”
Once the options are formed, NRCS engineers would work with local officials to see which, if any, meet the community’s needs and how to proceed.
Spring Ground Water Level Average Up Slightly
South Platte NRD staff members recently completed spring ground water measurements at observation wells located throughout the District. Each year water level readings are taken in early spring and again in the fall.
The measurements are used to monitor trends in the aquifers. Fall readings give an idea of how much levels are drawn down during the high-use summer season and spring readings show where levels are stabilizing during the winter.
By using the combination of the readings, SPNRD officials are able to determine how effective the District’s water management practices have been, and if adjustments need to be made.
District officials track year-to-year measurements, and also keep a close watch on long-range readings. In many instances, long range readings indicate the District’s wells remain below their best levels.
This year’s report shows one year ground water levels in Cheyenne County inclined 2.02 feet on average with 17.71 percent of wells measured showing declines. Deuel County showed an average incline of 1.76 feet with 8.7 percent of measured wells showing declines. Kimball County showed 36.36 percent of measured wells declining with an average decline of 0.51 feet.
Five year results show the largest decline in Kimball County with an average decline of 1.84 feet and 75.8 percent of wells showing a decline. Cheyenne County has an average decline of 0.63 feet with 58.3 percent of wells showing a decline. Deuel County has an average incline of 1.53 feet with 21.7 percent of wells showing a decline.
Twenty year results show the largest decline in Cheyenne County, where average water levels show a 8.37 foot drop compared to 1991 levels. Deuel County has an average decline of 0.36 feet while Kimball County averages show a 4.45 foot decline. Overall, twenty year results for the entire district show that 75 percent of wells have declined.
Thirty year results show an incline compared to twenty year results, respectively. Kimball County wells dropped an average of 3.04 feet while Deuel County well averages showed an incline of 1.08 feet. The largest decline is in Cheyenne County where wells had an average of a 4.22 foot decline.
The complete Spring 2010 Ground Water Level Report can be seen on the Resources Reports page or by contacting the South Platte Natural Resources District at 308-254-2377 or at the office, 551 Parkland Dr. in Sidney.
Ground Water Quality Monitoring Reported
Eighteen years of monitoring nitrates within South Platte NRD water tables have been completed, and some of the average readings appear to show positive results of intensive nutrient management in some ground water management areas.
The primary goal of the South Platte NRD's groundwater quality management areas is to improve groundwater quality to within federal EPA and Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality standards. The standard for nitrate nitrogen, or Maximum Contaminant Level (MCL), is 10 parts per million. Depending on the results of groundwater nitrate testing in a given area, a phased approach is used to bring the contaminants under control.
The District uses a network of NRD and privately owned wells to monitor nitrate levels, taking samples from most at least once every year. This year, 117 of the 159 network wells were sampled.
According to SPNRD Natural Resources Coordinator Chris Kaiser, who runs the monitoring program, the District could not sample some wells. Kaiser explains some wells were enrolled in temporary deferment or EQIP Special initiative and as a result were not in use. Others were not used often or not at all depending on crop choice and timing of rains, so staff was unable to monitor them.
Two of the most intensively managed areas, the Sidney Ground Water Management Area, and the South Platte Valley Ground Water Management Area, both show milestone lows in their averages.
Within the Sidney Ground Water Management Area, the averages from two groups of wells dropped below 10 parts per million (10 ppm) for the first time in many years. That resulted in the area average dropping below 8 ppm. Sidney municipal wells averaged 9.78 ppm, down from a high of 11.68 in 2001. Sidney Draw monitoring wells, which averaged 12.35 ppm in 2000, have dropped to 7.77 ppm in the 2009 report.
In the South Platt Valley Subarea composite average, the report shows an average reading of 9.50 ppm. That is down from a high of 11.20 ppm in 2000.
Other quality management area averages listed in the report:
East Lodgepole Valley GWMA – 6.73 ppm, high of 7.33 in 2003
Lodgepole Valley GWMA – 6.54 ppm, high of 6.76 in 2007
Kimball County Lodgepole Valley GWMA – 4.88 ppm, high of 5.60 in 2002.
To view the complete SPNRD 2009 Ground Water Quality Monitoring Program Report, they are available through the SPNRD office at 551 Parkland Dr. in Sidney, or can be seen in the Resources Reports section of this site.
Fall Ground Water Report Released
The fall ground water report from the South Platte Natural Resources District (SPNRD), shows short term fall ground water levels are slowly recovering, while in the long term, levels remain low.
Twice each year, technicians from the SPNRD take ground water level measurements in the spring, prior to the beginning of the high water use season, and again in the fall when the majority of high water uses are past. The SPNRD board of directors use comparisons over time to determine the effectiveness of water management programs and make management decisions.
Within the District’s three counties, all three showed average inclines, or rises, in water levels in comparison to those from 2008. Kimball County wells averaged the smallest inclines, rising 0.22 feet from last year. Deuel County’s average incline was 1.27 feet, while Cheyenne County wells averaged 1.64 feet higher.
This fall 148 wells across the District were measured for the fall comparisons. Thirty-two of those were in Kimball County, with water levels ranging from a 5.18-foot incline to a 5.63-foot decline. The lowest water levels were measured in far western portions of the county. Of the 32 wells, 15, or 46.88 percent, showed water level declines from last year.
In Cheyenne County, 93 wells were measured and 23, or 24.73 percent, declined. County levels ranged from wells that inclined 11.18 feet to a 4.59-foot drop.
Four of Deuel County’s 23 wells (17.39 percent) had declining levels. Deuel County one-year ground water levels ranged from a high 7.05-foot incline in the valley to a decline of 4.53 feet on the north table.
In comparing fall levels to those 20 years ago, 75 percent of wells show declines. Sixty-five wells were used for measurements at that time and today range from a 13.64-foot incline to a decline of 37.91 feet. In the 20-year measurements, the greatest numbers of declines, 88.24 percent, are in Kimball County. Cheyenne County has 78.37 percent of its wells showing declines. Just over half of Deuel County wells are lower in the 20-year figures.
On average, Cheyenne County wells are 9.11 feet lower than 20 years ago. Kimball County averages are 5.04 feet lower, while Deuel County’s average is 0.75 feet higher.
For the first time, the fall report shows 30-year well figures from 62 wells. Of those, 61.29 percent show declines. All three counties show average declines, but water level comparisons show ranges from a 25.51-foot incline to a decline of 34.92 feet. Both extremes are in Kimball County.
Another direct comparison uses averages from the past three years in the District’s six subareas and checks those numbers against a 10-year span covering the heart of the drought experienced in the early 1990s.
In those comparisons two subareas, from Pine Bluffs, WY to Oliver Reservoir and Buffalo Bend to Sidney, show double-digit depletions from the historic levels. From Buffalo Bend to Sidney the rolling average shows water levels are 15.72 feet lower, while Pine Bluffs to Oliver lags 14.12 feet behind.
All six subareas show depletions, but the others are not as drastic. Comparisons by subarea are: Oliver to Buffalo Bend, -4.77 feet; Sidney to Colorado, -2.79 feet; South Platte Valley, -2.89 feet; and the Fully Appropriated area, -4.71 feet.
As shown in the report, the SPNRD uses a larger number of wells to measure ground water levels than in the past, but mapping used for the report sometimes indicates data that doesn’t show a fully accurate picture of the District’s ground water levels.
To more accurately track overall levels and trends, the District is working to add wells within designated areas. SPNRD has submitted a grant application to the Nebraska Environmental Trust to drill 39 monitoring wells in crucial areas where there is no way to determine groundwater level changes. If the SPNRD receives the grant, officials feel they can develop a more comprehensive network of ground water measuring wells.
The complete Fall 2009 Ground Water Level Report can be seen on the Resources Reports page or by contacting the South Platte Natural Resources District at 308-254-2377 or at the office, 551 Parkland Dr. in Sidney.
Board Approves District-wide, Basin-wide and IMP Measures
At their regular monthly meeting Tuesday, August 11, 2009, the South Platte Natural Resources District board of directors approved final measures that implemented a new set of water management regulations required by the state, and adopts changes to two existing regulatory documents.
Since March 2009, the District had been reviewing possible changes to the Districtwide Ground Water Management Area Rules and Regulations, which have been in effect to manage ground water since 2002. The most recent review was for amendments related to staff access to property, and ground water allocations in four management subareas.
In June, the District held a public hearing on the proposed changes. A number of residents and representatives from entities offered testimony at either the hearing or during a period following the hearing where written testimony was also received.
Board members reviewed that testimony at both the July and August board meetings and heard further testimony at the Tuesday meeting. Following further discussion the board approved an order amending the rules and regulations without further modifications. The approved changes went into effect September 14, 2009.
The first amendment applies to language in Rules 6.6.3.1 and 6.6.3.2, which were deleted and replaced with language the District feels is more in line with state statute. The new statutory language says “The District shall have the power and authority, pursuant to Ne. Rev. Stat. § 2-3232(1), to enter upon any land, after notifying the owner or occupier, for the purpose of conducting studies, investigations, surveys, and research to carry out its authorized purposes.”
Rule 6.7.1.1, covering Allocations for Irrigation Uses, is amended to change allocations for the District’s second three-year period in four subareas. The amendment lowers allocations by two acre-inches in each subarea.
New allocation amounts, in acre-inches, for the affected subareas, beginning in 2010, will be:
Subarea A - Wyo. to Oliver Reservoir (from the Wyoming state line to Rd. 27): 42” over 3 years;
Subarea B - Oliver to Buffalo Bend (Rd. 27 to Rd. 87): 48” over 3 years;
Subarea C - Buffalo Bend to Sidney (Rd. 87 to Rd. 115): 42” over 3 years;
Subarea D - Sidney to Colorado (Rd. 115) southwest to the Colorado state line: 48” over 3 years.
The final change, in Appendix C, reflects the allocation amendments.
The second measure approved by the board was the adoption of the Basin-Wide Plan for Joint Integrated Water Resources Management of Overappropriated Portions of the Platte River Basin. The South Platte NRD is one of five natural resources districts that have worked with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and stakeholders for five years on the complex management plan, which must be approved by all entities.
The Basin-wide Plan’s goals are to:
- Incrementally achieve and sustain a fully appropriated condition.
- Prevent reductions in the flow of a river or stream that would cause noncompliance with an interstate compact or decree or other formal state contract or agreement.
- Keep the Plan current.
- Work cooperatively to identify and investigate disputes between ground water users and surface water appropriators and, if determined appropriate, implement management solutions to address such issues.
With approval of the Basin-wide Plan, the District is able to make its own Integrated Management Plan complete. The District’s IMP initially went into effect last June, with the knowledge that Rule 9, covering the District’s overappropriated areas, had to wait until the Basin-wide Plan was completed. Rule 9 must meet provisions of the Basin-wide Plan. The District’s overappropriated area includes areas along Lodgepole Creek, Sidney Draw, a small portion of northeast Cheyenne County and the South Platte River Valley.
Among the section’s goals are that within the first 10 year increment, consumptive use of water within the District’s overappropriated areas must return to 1997 levels. Once the areas return to 1997 levels, the goal is to address achieving a fully appropriated condition and subsequently maintain such a condition.
Another goal is to ensure SPNRD conditions would not cause noncompliance by Nebraska with any interstate compact or other agreements, or noncompliance with the Nebraska New Depletions Plan or Platte River Implementation Program.
The amended IMP went effect September 14, 2009.
This past year the NRD received a new, heavy duty grass drill that is expected to be in high demand as District land owners gear up for Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) land enhancements.
The grass drill, a 10-foot Great Plains no till model, was made possible through funding commitments by the Nebraska Environmental Trust and the High Plains Chapter of Pheasants Forever. The $15,000 grant from NET was one of 82 project receiving $15,065,944 in grant award from the Trust this year. The Cheyenne County High Plains Pheasants Forever committed $10,000 and the SPNRD covered the remainder of the $29,039 purchase.
Need for the new drill in the southern Panhandle arises from a number of variables. The District’s current no till drill was purchased in 2001 and has since planted over 3,800 acres and has recently needed extensive and more frequent repairs. The drill will remain available for smaller plantings, but a heavy, more reliable drill will be needed to meet expected demand.
That demand comes with the CRP Enhancement requirement, through which CRP cooperators in the southern Panhandle will be required to conduct mid-contract enhancement of their CRP acres. Approximately 226,000 acres of enhancements are expected. The drill is expected to allow program cooperators to efficiently accomplish larger practice plantings.
Grass drills are available for lease through the NRD are essential not only for the CRP enhancements, put also for Corners for Wildlife Plantings, wildlife food plots, buffer strip plantings and grass plantings in Wellhead protection areas.
For more information, contact the NRD at 308-254-2377 or go to the District Website, www.spnrd.org.
The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided over $142 million in grants to 1,134 projects across the state. Anyone – citizens, organizations, 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.
WANTED: Local weather watchers for NeRAIN
Volunteers are needed in Cheyenne, Deuel and Kimball counties to volunteer for a special project for studying the complex patterns of rain, hail and snow in Nebraska.
NeRAIN, (the Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network) is looking for volunteers – preferably with Internet access -- willing to report measurements of precipitation using high quality backyard rain gauges.
The 13 NRDs in the project area, which covers most of the state, received a $15,000 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust to purchase the rain gauges. Gauges will be provided to volunteers free of charge.
The project aims to include as many as 80 volunteers – one per township – in Cheyenne, Deuel and Kimball counties. To date, 30 volunteers are taking part in the South Platte NRD.
Christ Kaiser, natural resources coordinator at the NRD, is the local NeRAIN coordinator.
Kaiser encourages residents throughout the district to apply to participate in the program. Because the goal is to have a volunteer in each township in the district, the NRD will select from the applications based on geographic area. After the volunteers are selected, Kaiser provides a brief training session and provides the gauges.
Precipitation reports by volunteers will be transmitted via the Internet to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources each day. Climate analysts will process the data and prepare detailed maps showing rainfall patterns. Scientists and water managers will study these maps to learn how storms develop and move across the region and to make water-use decisions.
NeRAIN information will be updated daily and available for public access on the web at http://dnrdata.dnr.ne.gov/NeRAIN/.
For more information or to volunteer, call the South Platte NRD at (308) 254-2377.
Citizens' Group Monitors Environmental Impact
In keeping with its mission to protect and manage natural recources, one activity the District is involved with is the Citizen’s Monitoring Committee (CMC) at Kimball.
The local group, established by the South Platte NRD and the Kimball community, monitors the environmental impact of operations at Clean Harbors Environmental Services, Inc. (CHESI).
The facility is an incinerator operation five miles south of Kimball which disposes of about 54,000 tons of hazardous waste each year.
Under an agreement between the District and CHESI, the groups work together to maintain the program, which provides the District the opportunity and ability to monitor the facility’s impact throughout its active life and 30 years after it closes.
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency are the agencies that regulate operations, while SPNRD and the CMC work with CHESI based on the voluntary agreement, which allows local input.
Part of the CMC’s mission is to collect information regarding the plant’s operation and look out for the welfare of residents. The committee has a comprehensive monitoring program, which employs specialists from MILCO Environmental Services to help perform reviews of Clean Harbors’ monitoring practices, files and records.
The Committee recently hosted NDEQ and EPA officials at an information session. The meeting was part of the process required for CHESI to renew its primary operating permit in accordance with the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Nebraska Environmental Protection Act. CHESI is also seeking changes to its permit to operate a Class I Air Contaminant Source.
The CMC encourages area residents to attend such sessions, as well as regular meetings throughout the year, where they can receive information regarding the CHESI operation and given an opportunity to ask questions regarding permits, technical data or other items.
The Committee is chaired by Larry Stahla. Vice-chair is Jim Cederburg and Duane Janicek is secretary. Peggy Sanders and Will Brown also serve. All are from Kimball. SPNRD board member Jim Johnson and General Manager Rod Horn are also on the committee.
