NORFOLK, Nebraska -- The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (NRD) Directors accepted the Scope of Work and Flow Meter Maintenance Agreement from Derek and Austin Becker at the monthly board meeting Aug. 28, 2025. This agreement outlines the requirements for the completion of flow meter preventative maintenance services within the District.

The Lower Elkhorn NRD established a program to assist flow meter owners with maintenance of their flow meters after flow meters became a requirement for all irrigation wells as of Jan. 1, 2018. The Beckers rotate through different counties within the District, with each area receiving maintenance services once every five years. The five-year rotation began in the fall of 2018.

The inspection and preventative maintenance services include a physical examination and evaluation of proper flow meter installation and operation; removal of the flow meter to evaluate the condition of the propeller and bearings; reinstallation of the meter after greasing its bearings and replacing the saddle gasket; as well as the documentation of all inspection and maintenance findings.

On average, about 778 meters are inspected each year. In this newest agreement, maintenance will be conducted in Cedar, Dixon, Knox, Wayne and Thurston counties on approximately 752 meters by April 15, 2026. The contracted amount is $59 per meter.

Directors also discussed the 2025 standard variance application process for new groundwater irrigated acres in the District. An Ad-Hoc Variance Committee has been meeting twice a month since April to evaluate and strategize the Standard Variance process in the District.

Water Resources Manager Doug Hallum explained the process and information used by the Ad-Hoc Variance Committee to make sound decisions on new irrigated acres in the District. The Committee has been evaluating and analyzing data collected from spring water level trends at the 240 locations through the District including Quantity Management Subareas. Committee members have evaluated the trends over the past year, five years, and ten years to help better understand our groundwater. The Committee is still discussing how many acres to approve and plans for the Quantity Management Subareas. 

Also at the meeting, Directors authorized an additional 1% increase in restricted funds authority for Fiscal Year 2026 and set the public hearing date to vote on the Fiscal Year 2026 Budget and Long Range Plan. The public hearing has been set for Thursday, Sept. 11, 2025, prior to the Committee meeting.

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 your natural resources, visit www.lenrd.org and sign up for our monthly emails. The next board of directors meeting will be Thursday, Sept. 25, 2025, at the Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk at 7:30 p.m. and on Facebook Live.