NORFOLK, Nebraska -- After lengthy discussion, and numerous testimonies from the public, the Lower Elkhorn NRD Board of Directors ultimately decided not to approve the Battle Creek WFPO Plan in a 9-6 vote. The Battle Creek WFPO Plan was a study of flood prevention measures for the community. Though all the Directors shared the same consensus, they want to help Battle Creek, many of them did not agree with the Engineer’s recommendation of a dam/levee option for the community.

Numerous items relating to the North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Plan were approved by Directors. These items include approval of the North Fork Elkhorn River Watershed Agreement and the signing of the Resolution for the Agreement;  approval of Lower Elkhorn NRD staff submitting a letter of request to NRCS to extend the expiration date and amend funds from planning work to preliminary design work for the North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Grant; and authorization of Brian Bruckner, General Manager, to sign the contract amendment with JEO Consulting Group to incorporate preliminary design work for North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Watershed Plan-EA contract as presented.

The North Fork Elkhorn River WFPO Plan includes improvements for internal flood mitigation in the communities of Pierce and Osmond. Pierce is mainly focused on making improvements to the already existing levee system. Some improvements include increasing the height of the levee and construction of a seepage berm. In the plan there are also improvements to drainage in the northwest and southwest sides of town as well as stormwater pumping stations. The primary focus of the community is the updates to the levee system.

Osmond is focused on restoring high ground along the 4th Street corridor. Additional components of the flood mitigation plan for Osmond include voluntary building modifications to homes on the south side of the highway and a small berm/dike structure on the northeast side of town.

Directors agreed to have Lower Elkhorn NRD staff request a one-year extension of the Grant due to changes to the original contract and scope of work. Approximately $188,520.00 in funds were remaining at the completion of the planning phase for the North Fork WFPO Plan, and Directors agreed it would be appropriate to transfer those funds to the Design Phase. Those funds will be split between preliminary design work for the 4th Street Road Raise Project in Osmond and levee improvements for the Pierce Levee.

Eighty-nine applications for new irrigated acres were also approved. During the 2025 application period, 168 applications for new irrigated acres were received by the Lower Elkhorn NRD. At their January Board Meeting, Directors approved the LENRD staff recommendation to approve variance applications totaling 332.64 new groundwater irrigated acres in the LENRD Quantity Management Subareas; 3,694.69 new groundwater irrigated acres in the Non-hydrologically Connected Area; and 386.38 acre-feet of new peak-season streamflow depletions in the Hydrologically Connected Area.

At a Special Board Meeting held in October 2025, LNRD Board members heard the recommendation of an Ad-Hoc Variance Committee and voted to allow up to 350 new irrigated acres in the Quantity Management Subareas; up to 3,750 new irrigated acres in the Non-hydrologically Connected Area; and up to 400 acre-feet of new depletions in the Hydrologically Connected Area.

Additionally, the Board was introduced to Marcus Blunck, the new Project Coordinator for the Bazile Groundwater Management Area, and Nathan Kush, Conservation Planner for Madison and Pierce Counties. Jim Olson, who serves as the Source Water Protection Specialist, provided an update on his outreach to Wellhead Protection Areas in the Lower Elkhorn & Lewis and Clark NRDs. Reports were given by Robin Sutherland, NRCS; Gary Loftis on the Loess Hills RC&D; and Brian Bruckner on LB823 regarding change provisions relating to burning permits and the statewide open burning ban.

Anthony Wisnieski was appointed as the new Treasurer, replacing Jerry Alleman. Alleman had been serving as Treasurer for the past year after Mark Hall, who had been serving in that role, was not reelected to the board in the 2024 election. 

Board members approved a recommendation from staff to start sending out notice-of-intent letters for entities who have not submitted flow meter readings by Jan. 30, 2026. Meter readings are due Dec. 1, of each year, but due to the transition to ProducerConnect – the new online reporting platform for Natural Resources Districts – staff allowed more flexibility for delayed reports. 

To learn more about the 12 responsibilities of Nebraska’s NRDs, and how your local District can work with you and your community to protect natural resources, visit www.lenrd.org and sign up for our monthly emails. The next board of directors meeting will be Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026, at the Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk at 7:30 p.m. and on Facebook Live.