GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska – The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) Board of Directors held a public hearing on the proposed Fiscal Year 2026/2027 budget before approving the $23.2 million budget as advertised during its regular meeting on Thursday. The FY2027 budget is approximately $8.5 million lower than last year’s $31.8 million budget and $11.4 million lower than the FY2025 budget.

A second public hearing to set the FY2027 property tax request and levy will be held at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, September 3, 2026, immediately before the rescheduled August Board meeting. Based on current balances and projected revenues, the property tax request is expected to remain unchanged at approximately $5.3 million. The District anticipates an approximately six percent increase in total property valuation; however, the final valuation will not be known until information is received from assessors in the District’s 11 counties.

Note: The August Board meeting has been rescheduled for September 3 to allow time for the required public notices.

ADDITIONAL Agenda / Action Items

New Office/Education Center
The Board approved the Building Committee’s recommendation to list the District’s current office property at 215 N. Kaufman Avenue in Grand Island with Berkshire Hathaway for $1.9 million. The six-month listing agreement includes a five percent commission. In June, the Board rejected two sealed bids after determining that both were well below the property’s appraised value. Staff are expected to relocate to the new office and education center in late summer.

The Board also approved the Building Committee’s recommendation to approve a $3,842.00 change order from Rogge General Contractors to extend the septic drain field 15 feet for the maintenance building.

Variance Appeals Committee
The Board approved the following recommendations from the Variance Appeals Committee:

Construction Water Solutions, Holdrege: Approved a new commercial/industrial well permit for construction of the JWC fertilizer plant in Gothenburg. The well will be used to pre-water soil during the 18-month construction period. Requirements include installing a District-approved meter, submitting monthly water-use reports to CPNRD and limiting annual pumping to 25 million gallons. Any water pumped above that limit will require offsets. The well must be decommissioned by the end of 2027.
Meadowlark Fertilizer Plant, Gothenburg: Approved a request to use property under a conservation easement for construction of an additional rail line and a portion of the plant building since it will not add consumptive use to the property.

Water Utilization Committee
The Water Utilization Committee discussed Groundwater Management Areas with continued groundwater declines and reviewed potential management options. Under the District’s Groundwater Management Plan, an area enters Phase II when groundwater declines exceed 25% of the maximum acceptable decline. Phase II management measures include restrictions on groundwater transfers and supplemental irrigation wells. If declines reach 50% of the maximum acceptable decline, the area moves into Phase III. At that point, all active irrigation wells within the area must be equipped with District-approved flow measurement devices, and annual water use must be reported to CPNRD.

CPNRD’s groundwater monitoring network includes 451 wells which are measured each spring and fall. During the 2026 spring monitoring season, District staff measured 410 wells, representing approximately one monitoring well for every 2,500 irrigated acres.

Programs Committee
The Board approved the Programs Committee’s recommendation to award 2026–2027 CPNRD–Ron Bishop Memorial College Scholarships to Madelyn Graham of Grand Island, Tucker Thomas of Kearney and Parker Walahoski of Overton.

The program awards $1,000 scholarships to college sophomores, juniors, seniors and graduate students pursuing degrees related to natural resources.

Eagle Scout Project Request
The Board approved a $425.70 funding request from Kaura Reimers of Doniphan to replace four Colorado blue spruce trees at the Doniphan United Methodist Church as part of her Eagle Scout project. The project also includes sanding, repainting and making improvements to the church’s food pantry and library boxes.

Manager’s Report
Lyndon Vogt, General Manager, reported on the following:

Perkins County Canal
The U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Nebraska’s lawsuit alleging that Colorado has violated the South Platte River Compact and interfered with Nebraska’s right to construct and operate the Perkins County Canal.

Nebraska Environmental Trust Lawsuit 
W. Don Nelson and Jon Oberg filed a lawsuit challenging the Legislature’s transfer of Nebraska Environmental Trust funds outside the Trust’s competitive grant process. The lawsuit argues that the transfers violate the Nebraska Constitution and Environmental Trust Act because voter-designated lottery proceeds must support conservation efforts rather than replace General Fund spending.

The challenged 2026 transfers include $7.5 million for the Water Resources Cash Fund and $6 million for improvements at Lewis and Clark Lake. A Lancaster County District Court judge issued a temporary injunction preventing the money from being transferred or spent while the case proceeds. The lawsuit does not challenge the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program itself, but its outcome could affect whether Environmental Trust funds may be directed to NSWCP and other state programs without going through the Trust’s grant process. A final ruling could influence funding for conservation projects statewide and determine how much authority the Legislature has to redirect voter-designated lottery proceeds.

ONE RED Funding
Nebraska received a $307 million Climate Pollution Reduction Implementation Grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for the ONE RED program, administered by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment (DWEE). The five-year initiative includes $160.4 million for an agricultural data bank and incentives supporting soil-health practices, reduced nitrogen use and precision-agriculture technologies. Specific program details are being developed and will be announced at Husker Harvest Days in September.

Nitrogen Management Violations 
Ten producers who received cease-and-desist orders remain out of compliance with the District’s Nitrogen Management Program. Their cases will be referred to legal counsel if witnessed violating their cease-and-desist order. The violations involve failure to submit required annual crop reports or water and soil sample results.

Financial Report
The July financial report was approved.

Cost-Share Application
An application for burn preparation was approved for $10,000 through the Central Platte NRD’s Burn Preparation cost-share program.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Report
Joe Krolikowski, district conservationist, reported that NRCS renewed the Regional Conservation Partnership Program agreement for the Ogallala Aquifer and Platte River Recovery Project, a collaboration among NRCS, Central Platte NRD and Twin Platte NRD. The project addresses water quality and quantity concerns by supporting irrigation improvements and the temporary or permanent conversion of irrigated land to non-irrigated uses. Priority areas include CPNRD’s over appropriated area from Gothenburg to Elm Creek, areas experiencing groundwater declines, and Phase II and III groundwater quality areas where nitrate levels exceed the drinking water standard of 10 parts per million.

NRCS pre-approved eight CPNRD applications requesting a total of $756,455.69: five through the Central City Field Office totaling $678,546.69, two through Lexington totaling $73,541 and one through Grand Island totaling $4,368. No applications were received through the Kearney, Ogallala or North Platte field offices.

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Upcoming Events
September 3: Public Hearing to set the FY2027 property tax request and tax levy - 1:45 p.m.
September 3: August Board of Directors Meeting – 2:00 p.m.
September 7: Office closed to observe Labor Day
September 24: Board of Directors Meeting – 2:00 p.m.
October 22: Board of Directors Meeting – 2:00 p.m.
November 19: Board of Directors Meeting – 2:00 p.m.
November 26 - 27: Office closed to observe Thanksgiving holiday
December 25 - January 1: Office closed to observe Christmas/New Year holidays