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| Nemaha NRD January
2010 Board Meeting Report Tecumseh – Nemaha Natural Resources District directors held their annual election of officers during their January 14, 2010, regular board meeting. When the voting was all done, no changes were made to the leadership positions, which will be held for another year by Chair Scott Kudrna, Auburn, Vice-Chair Lisa Beethe, Elk Creek, and Secretary-Treasurer Rob Bohling, Johnson. Orval Gigstad, Syracuse, and Don Siske, Table Rock, will serve as the District’s representatives to the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts. The board voted to approve an agreement with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to initiate planning and design studies for rehabilitating Upper Big Nemaha dam 25-C southwest of Adams. Built in 1974, the flood control structure was designed with a significant hazard classification; however, following a breach zone study in 2007, it was determined the classification had changed to high hazard. The studies will determine the most feasible alternatives for addressing this change and will be completed at no cost to the District. In an ongoing effort to secure a federal 404 permit from the US Army Corps of Engineers for a road dam within the Muddy Creek Watershed in Nemaha County, the board considered whether to obtain conservation easements on property associated with the project. The easements would help protect stream buffers that are needed to satisfy mitigation requirements. Staff was directed to begin negotiations with three landowners regarding conservation easements with the resulting easements to be brought back for final board approval. Expected cash flow issues related to the Iron Horse Trail Lake renovation project along with the Buck and Duck Creek Watershed projects led the board to request bids for a 12-month line of credit. Bids were requested from all banks in the District, and six submitted proposals. The board approved a resolution authorizing the borrowing of up to $1 million on a line of credit from the American National Bank, Tecumseh, at a rate of 2.5%, plus a $2,500 one-time fee. Work is underway at Iron Horse to remove sediment and improve fisheries at this public recreation lake near DuBois. Construction of the Buck Creek Watershed structure near Peru could begin as early as this spring, and land rights negotiations are the next step in the Duck Creek project. Don Siske and Lisa Beethe were appointed as voting delegate and alternative, respectively, for the upcoming legislative conference of the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts in Lincoln on January 26-27. The next regular meeting of the Nemaha NRD board will be Thursday, February 11, 2010, beginning at 7:00 p.m. with committees meeting prior to the regular meeting. Agenda item requests must be submitted no later than 4:30 p.m. on the day before the meeting. |