(GRAND ISLAND, NE)-  Jim Cannia, U.S. Geological Survey, will give an update on the Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) survey results within the Central Platte NRD to the NRD’s Water Resources Committee this month. The committee will report the results at the board of directors meeting scheduled for 2:00 p.m. on March 29, 2018, at the Central Platte NRD office located at 215 Kaufman Avenue in Grand Island, NE.

Airborne surveys are conducted with helicopters and cover large areas quickly with minimal impacts to local activities and the environment. 3-D maps, produced by integrating airborne geophysics with other information, provide powerful tools for locating local features of the aquifer system important to water managers. These maps can be combined with a water table elevation map to provide the geometry of the aquifer including, locations of the most saturated thickness, heterogeneity of aquifer materials, recharge zones, lithologic barriers to groundwater flow, and connections to the surface water system.

The maps also indicate where preferential flow paths may exist, which is particularly important for understanding base flow to streams and interpreting water quality samples in relation to the various stresses in the system. Ultimately, this information will be used to site wells, focused-recharge areas, facility construction, and many other areas of interest when considering the impact to the aquifer. Water managers often put this data directly into groundwater models to do predictive analysis of management scenarios.

OTHER ACTION/AGENDA ITEMS

-Monarch Habitat Project  Students from the Leadership Tomorrow Program in Grand Island, NE will present an outdoor classroom application to develop a new monarch habitat project in Grand Island.  The Programs Committee will take their recommendation to the full board.

-Outdoor Classroom & Garden  The Programs Committee will review an Outdoor Classroom & Garden application from the Roots & Shoots Club at Barr Middle School. The proposed project would provide a place for students to learn about plants, insect pollinators, and how to grow vegetables. The project would be used by the science and family consumer science teachers, reaching nearly 750 students each year. The Roots & Shoots Club plan to maintain the area throughout the summer.

-Rangeland Conservation  The Programs Committee will consider a new cost-share program for rangeland conservation. The purpose of the program is to make pastures safer for burning, to conserve native grasslands for sustained grazing, and to increase wildlife habitat. The proposed cost share program would cover the cost of tree removal and fire line preparation. The Programs Committee will review the proposed program and take their recommendation to the board

-Cooperative Hydrology Study  Brandi Flyr, hydrologist, will give an update on the Study.

-Platte River Recovery Program  Mark Czaplewski, biologist, will give an update on the Platte River Recovery Implementation Program.

-Nebraska Natural Resources Commission  Mick Reynolds, Middle Platte Basin representative, will report.

-Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD)  Jim Bendfeldt, NARD board president, will report.

-Natural Resources Conservation Service  Joe Krolikowski, district liaison, will report to the board.

-2019 Fiscal Budgets  The Programs Committee will review proposed cost share and information/education budgets.

-Cost Share The board will consider applications through the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation and the Central Platte NRD cost-share programs.

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Marcia Lee

Information/Education Specialist

Central Platte Natural Resources District

215 Kaufman Ave  Grand Island NE 68803

(308) 385-6282  www.cpnrd.org

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