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| Nemaha NRD October 2011 Board Meeting Report Tecumseh – A new set of boundaries for the Nemaha Natural Resources District voting sub-districts was approved by its board of directors during their October 13 regular meeting. Law requires the lines to be examined following each new census to assure that representation is as near to a 1:1 ratio as possible. As approved the new boundaries will allow most of the current board members to remain eligible for their positions on the board should they choose to run in subsequent elections. Generally the District’s population has shifted from southeast to northwest with the total population according to the 2010 census settling at 44,560, which is up just 432 from the 2000 census. The new boundaries, which will take effect with the 2012 election, may be viewed on the District’s website, www.nemahanrd.org, or by contacting the NRD in Tecumseh. Christy Haddan with Schulz & Associates, Beatrice, presented the District’s audit report for FY 2010-11. She reported that no deficiencies were discovered in the favorable report. Following her presentation the board approved the report, which will now be submitted to the State Auditor’s office for their approval. Several applications for permits to install wells were on the agenda for consideration. The board approved the following permits for irrigation wells: Prairie States Enterprises, 3.5 miles north of Sterling, 450 gpm; Brad Kuehn, 2.5 miles northeast of Cook, 300 gpm; Dale Wolken, 3 miles north of Crab Orchard, 800 gpm; and Randy Burgett, 8 miles northwest of Humboldt, 600 gpm. A fifth permit from Wide Open Spaces for a 300 gpm well for wildlife purposes 3 miles south of St. Mary was also approved. Dana Divine, coordinator for the Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment Project, was on hand to review progress to date. The project‘s goal is to develop a geologic framework and water budget for the previously glaciated portion of eastern Nebraska. Six eastern Nebraska NRDs participate in the project. Water sampling, test hole drilling, and electromagnetic imagery have been used to compile information regarding water quality and quantity in the region. In conjunction with the ongoing construction of the dam on Buck Creek west of Peru, the board reviewed potential improvements to an impacted county road. The board agreed to share the cost, up to a maximum NRD contribution of $250,000, for improvements to two bridges that would require replacement. This proposal will be submitted to Nemaha County for their concurrence. No action was taken regarding conservation easements needed to meet mitigation requirements for the Buck Creek dam, though the board did discuss the requirements in a short executive session. The board voted to adjust their meeting schedule in November-March to start at 7:00 p.m. Therefore, the next regular meeting of the Nemaha Natural Resources District board of directors will be Thursday, November 10, 2011, at 7:00 p.m. at the NRD headquarters in Tecumseh. Committees will meet prior to the regular meeting. |