GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska – At their July 31, 2025, meeting, the Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) Board of Directors approved the fiscal year 2025/2026 budget following a public hearing. The approved budget totals $31,799,740.74, a decrease from last year’s budget of $34,714,184.14.

The budget includes proposed expenditures, liabilities, necessary cash reserves, and county treasurer’s commissions. Based on current balances and projected revenues, the property tax request for FY 2025/2026 is $5,347,834.31, a decrease of $1,489.86 compared to the previous year.

A second public hearing to formally set the property tax request and levy will be held at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2025, during the regularly scheduled Board of Directors meeting.

AGENDA/ACTION ITEMS

Office and Education Center
The Building Committee reported that they met at the site of the NRD’s new office and education center to review construction progress.

The Board approved a resolution to apply for federal funding through the Recreational Trails Program (RTP) to install a prefabricated pedestrian bridge over Silver Creek. The proposed 10-foot-wide, approximately 70-foot-long bridge will connect a future trailhead to a naturalized loop trail on the new 131.25-acre CPNRD office campus. RTP provides funding to states to develop and maintain recreational trails and related facilities for both non-motorized and motorized use.

The Board approved a contract with GSI Engineering, LLC, a UES Company (UES), to provide geotechnical engineering services and recommendations regarding subsurface soil conditions for the storage building project at the new NRD office campus.

Flowmeter, Telemetry and Data Management System Project  
The Water Utilization Committee approved a contract with Seim Ag Technology for the Flowmeter, Telemetry, and Data Management System Project. The project will equip 100 wells with telemetry-enabled flow meters to autonomously measure, report, and analyze daily groundwater pumping. By reducing over-irrigation, the system is projected to conserve approximately 1,162 acre-feet of water annually, helping retain that water in the local aquifer. The NRD secured funding for the project through the Bureau of Reclamation’s WaterSmart Grant Program and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.

Platte Valley Industrial Park Drainage Ditch
The Board approved Amendment #4 with Olsson for the Platte Valley Industrial Park Drainage Ditch Project in the amount of $16,500. The amendment includes updating property appraisals, renegotiating easements with existing and new property owners, and redesigning a portion of the plans to accommodate new ownership. A portion of the cost will be reimbursed by project sponsors including the City of Grand Island, Hall County, and the Economic Development Corporation. The drainage ditch project will divert water into the south side channel of the Wood River Flood Control Project to alleviate drainage issues between South Locust Street and Highway 281.

Board Search Committee
The Board Search Committee reported that they are advertising for candidates to fill the vacancy in Subdistrict 3, which includes southwestern Buffalo County and the southeastern corner of Dawson County. The appointed director will serve through December 2026. Interested candidates must submit a letter of intent to: CPNRD, 215 Kaufman Avenue, Grand Island, NE 68803 or email vogt [at] cpnrd.org. For assistance in determining whether you reside in Subdistrict 3, contact CPNRD at (308) 385-6282.

CPNRD-Ron Bishop Memorial College Scholarship Program
Three applications for CPNRD-Ron Bishop Memorial College Scholarship Program were approved for the 2025-2026 academic year. The program awards $1,000 scholarships to college sophomores, juniors, seniors, and graduate students who reside within the district and are pursuing a natural resources-related degree. Awardees include Cooper Grant of Grand Island (UNL), Gage Fryda of Kearney (UNL), and Braeden Anderson of Gothenburg (UNL).

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

Nitrogen Management Violations 
Four producers remain in violation of the District’s Nitrogen Management Program: Kevin Dubbs, John Fritz, Ray Hebda Jr., and Clint Ratkovec. Violations result from failure to submit required annual crop reports or to provide water and soil sample results.

South Platte River Compact – Perkins County Canal
On July 15, Governor Jim Pillen and Attorney General Mike Hilgers announced that the State of Nebraska has filed a case with the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold Nebraska’s rights under the 1923 South Platte River Compact. Governor Pillen highlighted the critical role of the Perkins County Canal in protecting the state’s long-term water supply. Project partners include Twin Platte NRD, Central Platte NRD, South Platte NRD, Western Irrigation District, Nebraska Public Power District, and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District.

UNMC Advisory Board  
Lyndon Vogt will serve on the University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Contamination in Drinking Water Educational Advisory Board, led by the UNMC Water, Climate, and Health Program. The board will advise on curriculum content and educational priorities, provide insights into community needs and opportunities, help identify potential partners and resources, and guide outreach and evaluation strategies.

Staff Reports 
Courtney Olson, Office Assistant, and Dean Krull, UNL/CPNRD Demonstration Project Coordinator, presented an overview of their roles and responsibilities to the Board.

Natural Resources Conservation Service Report  
Joe Krolikowski, District Conservationist, reported the Lexington Field Office is currently working on 34 EQIP, 33 CSP, and 15 RCPP contracts. Krolikowski noted that staff in the four NRCS offices completed 56 status reviews this year for potential wetland and/or highly erodible land issues.

Nebraska Natural Resources Commission (NRC)
Doug Reeves, Middle Platte Basin Representative, reported that the Commission received 24 applications for Water Sustainability Fund grants—9 for large projects and 13 for small projects (under $250,000). With a spending total of $1.8 million appropriated by the Legislature, the Commission approved funding for 4 large projects and 2 small projects, totaling $1.48 million.

Financial Report
The July financial report was approved.

Cost-Share  
11 applications totaling $58,613.71 for the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program and Central Platte NRD cost-share programs were approved for underground pipeline, brush management, planned grazing, center pivot incentive, cover crops and soil moisture sensors.

Upcoming Board Meetings   
September 3 (August meeting), September 25, October 23, November 13, December 18