PROTECTING LIVES
50 Anniversary of NRD’s
2022 was a big year for NRD’s it’s not every year you get to celebrate 5 decades of protecting, conserving, and improving Nebraska’s nature resources. We had an open house in July to celebrate and a chance to look back at pictures and memories of changes and growth in the past 50 years. To also celebrate the 50th anniversary, we participated in the 100 millionth tree planted by the NRD’s by planting a Maple tree at the State Capital yard. We partnered with Nebraska City tourism & Commerce, and they purchased a Burr Oak for our NRD yard, and we purchased a Burr oak for the Boyd County Courthouse yard and a Matador Maple tree and planted at the Keya Paha County Courthouse yard
In the 50 years since they were created, NRDs have experienced tremendous growth in the responsibilities given to them by state statute, especially in protecting ground water.
PROTECTING PROPERTY
West Knox Rural Water District
To protect and provide quality drinking water to the residents of Knox County, Nebraska the Lower Niobrara NRD established the West Knox Rural Water System in 1984. The WKRWS provides clean safe high quality drinking water to the residents of Verdigre and Winnetoon along with 1250+ rural residents and many pasture hookups.
The system is monitored 24/7 and the staff have access to the system via their smartphones. The March 14th “Bomb Cyclone” caused over $700,000 in damages to sixteen creek crossings in the system. Working with FEMA and NEMA all the repair projects are completed with 90% of the cost covered by NEMA and FEMA Grants. Each year the Systems adds new hookups to rural homes, cabins, pasture or feeding operations. The system is a vital part in keeping central Knox County growing and prospering.
PROTECTING THE FUTURE
Tree Planting and Wildlife Habitat
To protect property and to encourage tree planting, the Lower Niobrara NRD sells low cost conservation tree and shrub seedlings to District residents. Over the past five years the District has planted an average of 7,000 trees per year. These trees and shrubs are planted in windbreaks for livestock and homestead protection, prevention of soil erosion, wildlife habitat, “living snow fences” and for aesthetic value.
Nebraska Environmental Trust Grant
The Lower Niobrara Natural Resources District, in partnership with The University of Nebraska Conservation and Survey Division and The Nebraska Environmental Trust, have released a public link to view real-time static water levels at 18 locations across the Lower Niobrara NRD. The release of the HydroVu link is the final step of a 4-year, $272,000 NET grant project that was conducted by Lower Niobrara NRD and technical partner UNL Conservation and Survey Division.
The total scope of the grant included identifying new monitoring well sites across the District, drilling test holes at 14 sites, collecting test hole data, designing 19 monitoring wells, constructing the monitoring wells, sampling groundwater quality, measuring groundwater quantity, and instrument installation and implementation. Pressure transducers at the sites record static water levels every 4 hours, and the telemetry units upload data every 24 hours from each location to HydroVu.
