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| Nemaha NRD May
2008 Board Meeting Report Tecumseh – A final draft of the Nemaha Natural Resources District’s Groundwater Management Plan was presented to its board of directors at their regular meeting Thursday, May 8, 2008, for review. The next step is to forward the plan to the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources for their review, which could take up to 90 days to complete. Board approval was given to the draft with instructions to submit it to DNR in hopes that their review process can be expedited. Once DNR comments are received, a public hearing will be required to present the plan prior to final approval by the NRD board. It is anticipated this will be accomplished by mid-October. In other action by the NRD’s Water Resources Ad-Hoc Committee, two requests for variances to allow well permits to be issued received no action this month. One permit from Craig Behrends was withdrawn; the other permit from Herr Farms for a well north of Humboldt required more investigation prior to taking any action. A third request was received from the City of Syracuse for four wells on the southwest side of town to be used for irrigating sports and recreation fields. NRD Water Department Manager Chuck Wingert pointed out that individually the wells did not meet the 50 gallon-per-minute threshold that requires the permits; however, because the wells will be connected together, their combined pumping capacity will exceed the 50 gpm that triggers the permit requirement. Board approval was granted to allow the variances for these wells. Three bids were received to install fences on nine small cost-share dams to be built within the next three years in the Muddy Creek Watershed. The board voted to accept the bid submitted by Graham Quality Contracting, Tecumseh, at the rate of $1.47 per linear foot. In an effort to suppress the sericea lespedeza that is present in the grasslands of Kirkman’s Cove Recreation Area, the board voted to enter into a grazing contract with Eldon Snoke, Humboldt. Snoke’s cattle will intensively graze the 40-acres near the dam that are infested with the noxious weed during approximately a two-month period beginning May 15. Until this year the area was advertised for bids to harvest the hay; however, with the recent noxious weed designation, haying was not an option. The contract is valid only for this season; should it prove successful, the board may consider competitive bids for future contracts. Final applications were reviewed for three urban special projects. The board voted to approve matching funds for the following projects: Freeman FFA Chapter, Adams - $2,400 for an outdoor classroom around their school; City of Nebraska City, $6,200 for a landscaping project in Wildwood Park; and Falls City Parks Department, $16,400 for a trail at Stanton Lake Park. These projects must be completed by June, 2009. NRD Manager, Bob Hilske, updated the board on the status of the Steamboat Trace trail. Crews worked much of the winter cleaning up downed tree limbs that succumbed to the December ice storm. Clearing of overhead limbs inaccessible to the NRD’s maintenance crew was completed earlier this month by TreeWorx from Nebraska City, who won the contract for that work. Lottman Carpenter Construction of Diller has been attempting to complete resurfacing work on the trail south of Peru that resulted from floodwaters of May, 2007. An early winter and wet spring weather has hampered their efforts. However, construction is hoped to occur this month with completion prior to Memorial Day. The trail may be temporarily closed south of Peru during construction. At the recommendation of the Board’s Executive Committee, the option for hiring an engineer on staff to design many of the District’s smaller projects was dropped. After further investigation it was determined that the costs involved would be prohibitive. The Committee also reviewed some preliminary figures for the FY2009 budget and salaries but had no recommendations at this time. The board did direct Orval Gigstad, representative to the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts, to support the efforts to add another staff member to the Association, which will require a five percent dues increase. The next regular meeting of the Nemaha Natural Resources District board of directors will be Thursday, June 12, 2008, at 8:00 p.m. at the NRD headquarters, 62161 Highway 136, Tecumseh, with committees meeting prior to the full board meeting. |