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With over 350 watershed structures, the
Nemaha NRD is a leader in flood control and grade stabilization in
Nebraska. Nine of the 19 watersheds in the District have completed
flood control and grade stabilization structures. Funding for the
projects has come largely from federal funds; however, recently the
District has used state and local grants and funds to install flood
control dams in the Upper Little Nemaha and Turkey Creek Watersheds.
 Currently
all 19 planned flood
control dams in the Upper Little Nemaha Watershed are complete.
This watershed covers parts of Lancaster, Cass, and Otoe Counties and
includes the towns of Eagle, Bennet, Palmyra, Unadilla, and Syracuse.
Because costs outweighed required benefits for federal funding
eligibility, the NRD has partnered with the Nebraska Resources
Development Fund to build these structures. In addition, Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds also supplemented the costs of
some of the dams. Nebraska Environmental Trust Funds contributed
toward some construction costs as well as required mitigation of grass and trees in the watershed.
A shining example of partnership is the
Turkey Creek Watershed program. Also deemed ineligible for federal
funding, the project is being funded through grants from the
Environmental Trust, federal Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP),
local NRD funds, and landowner contributions. This watershed
extends along the southwestern edge of the District including the west
half of Pawnee County and a portion of southwest Johnson County.
A new law recently passed by the
Legislature has stirred up a lot of concern and interest in registering
existing wells. However, landowners can rest assured that the
requirements are not intended to penalize those who have
"illegal" wells.
Since September 9, 1993, all new wells,
including domestic wells, have been required to be registered with the
Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (formerly the Department of
Water Resources). Irrigation
wells have been required to be registered since 1957. Wells
which are required to be registered are consider illegal until
registered or until properly abandoned if no longer used.
Penalties for non-compliance may include a $500 fine. But anyone
who voluntarily registers a well will not be assessed the fine.
According to the Department, wells used
for solely domestic purposes, for livestock water, or for both are all
considered to be domestic wells.
To obtain a copy of a well registration
form, contact the Nemaha NRD in Tecumseh (402-335-3325) or the Nebraska
Department of Natural Resources in Lincoln (402-471-2363). You may also
request a form using our online form or download
from the following link:
http://www.dnr.state.ne.us/docs/wellforms.html
Generally wells pumping 50 gpm or less
will cost $60 to register.
Wells pumping above that amount are registered at the rate of $100 each.
75% cost-share is available (up to $500
for drilled wells or $700 for hand dug wells) to properly close and seal
abandoned wells. Abandonment must be completed by a licensed well
driller within 90 days after approval.
Sign up anytime at the Nemaha NRD
office in Tecumseh or request an application using our online
form.
Requirements:
- A NNRD well abandonment program
application and aerial photo of the section with the location of the
well denoted must be submitted prior to closure.
- NNRD approval is required before the
well abandonment procedures begin.
- The well(s) must be closed according
to the Department of Health & Human Services and Department of
Environmental Control Title 178 regulations governing water well
abandonment standards and a licensed well driller must conduct the
work.
- The NNRD will pay 75% cost-share
assistance on approved well abandonment costs up to a maximum of $500
for each cased well and $700 for each hand dug well.
- Eligible cost-share does not include
payment for removal of any exposed or buried pipes, tanks,
pumps, tower, well house or other apparatus.
- The landowner has 90 days to
complete work after receiving an approval letter from the NNRD.
It is the landowner's responsibility to keep the well driller on
schedule.
- The NNRD may spot check the well(s)
prior to, during, or after proper well abandonment.
- A description of the abandonment
process completed on the State's "Notice of Abandonment" form and a
copy of the bill listing the materials used must be submitted prior to
payment.
Nitrate-Nitrogen
The Nemaha NRD will
analyze irrigation and domestic water well samples for nitrate-nitrogen
contamination FREE of charge to District residents. Domestic groundwater
wells are the primary source of drinking water for many families within
the District, and an annual analysis of private wells is highly
recommended.
The United States
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established a Maximum
Contaminant Level (MCL) of 10 parts per million (ppm) for nitrate
nitrogen for public water supply systems. Public water supply systems
(Rural Water and Municipal supplies) are regulated by the Nebraska
Health and Human Services System (NHHSS); but private wells, however,
are left to the well owner to manage. Annual nitrate analysis is highly
encouraged for households with infants less than six months of age,
pregnant women, nursing mothers, and/or elderly persons as these groups
are the most susceptible. Nitrate in excess of 10 ppm can cause the
potentially fatal methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome” in infants
less than six months of age.
Water samples may be
brought into the District office, or NRD staff will come to your home or
farm and collect the sample. If bringing in a sample, please follow
these few simple rules to insure sample reliability:
1. Always
use a clean, plastic bottle or glass jar to collect the sample. Sampling
bottles are also available from the District office.
2. Allow
the cold water to run for approximately 5 minutes from well spigot,
outside hydrant (remove hose), or house faucet to remove stagnant water
in pipes and pressure tank. Please note the water must be untreated (no
softened, distilled, or other treated water).
3. Rinse
bottle and cap; then fill bottle; and close cap tightly.
4. Samples
should be submitted for analysis as soon as possible after collection
but may be stored up to 48 hours if refrigerated or kept on ice.
Results are generally
available within just a few days. Samples that test above the 10 ppm MCL
will be sent to a private laboratory for verification.
Bacteria
The Nemaha NRD is
pleased to announce that bacteria analysis of water wells is also now
available FREE of charge to District residents. Upon request, District
staff will come to your home or farm and collect a water sample for
total coliform and E. coli bacteria. The EPA has established a “no
presence” MCL for bacteria in drinking water. The District highly
recommends private wells also be tested annually for bacteria.
Coliform bacteria are
microscopic, generally harmless organisms that live in the intestinal
tract of many warm blooded animals including humans and are excreted
into the environment through feces. Groundwater wells and household
systems may become contaminated due to poor well construction/location,
surface water runoff, and/or backflow. Although most coliform bacteria
are not directly disease causing, some are often found with other, more
dangerous strains of bacteria like E. coli, shigella and salmonella.
Some strains of E. coli are know to cause vomiting, diarrhea, and
other serious gastrointestinal problems.
For further
information about nitrates and coliform bacteria in drinking water, see
the following information from the NDHHS website:
http://www.hhs.state.ne.us/enh/NitratesColiformBacteria.pdf
To request further
information or schedule
NRD staff to come collect a water sample, click here.
For more information on drinking water
quality and private wells see the following links:”
U.S.
EPA Groundwater and Drinking Water
University of Nebraska's
Cooperative Extension
National Groundwater
Association
Nebraska
Department of Health & Human Services
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