NORFOLK, Nebraska -- At the May 28, 2026, Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (NRD) Board Meeting, Water Resources Manager Doug Hallum provided an update on the Nebraska Environmental Trust vadose zone study.

The “Observing Water and Nutrient Mobility in the Vadose Zone” study will work hand-in-glove with producers to help Lower Elkhorn NRD staff evaluate nutrient and water movement underground and under various farming practices while accounting for weather, soil, and geology. This will help staff evaluate which best management practices are better with which soil types to protect water quality and maintain or enhance recharge to our aquifers.

As of the meeting, six Requests for Proposals and one Request for Quote were published with a deadline of June 19, 2026, for interested parties to respond. Ten courtesy emails have also been sent to area partners. So far, there have been two requests seeking additional information and two letters of declination due to the scope of work. Soon, staff will begin seeking producers operating on various types of farms to participate in the study.

Directors also heard from Katie Cameron, ENWRA Project Coordinator; and Dr. Jesse Korus, UNL; about the Plainview geophysical investigation. The City of Plainview recently began exploring new sites for an additional municipal well. An engineer, hired by the City, selected an area to dig a test hole based on a community driven effort. The city, through their relationship with Source Water Protection Specialist Jim Olson, recommended having UNL come in and evaluate groundwater flow. This brought Dr. Korus into the picture to conduct a tow TEM (tTEM) study.

Dr. Korus used a tool with technology similar to that of an AEM study, to measure resistivity in the ground around the area of the new test well. Though Dr. Korus often gets involved before a test hole has been dug, his findings showed that the City and engineer had coincidentally picked the perfect spot due to the underground water flow in that specific area and a low nitrate concentration.

A committee of seven Lower Elkhorn NRD Directors, two Battle Creek Council members, the Mayor of Battle Creek, Economic Development Consultant, and a Madison County Commissioner have been assembled to begin a new phase of flood mitigation efforts for the City of Battle Creek.

After Directors ultimately rejected the final plan document of the NRCS Battle Creek WFPO Plan earlier this year, staff believe this is necessary to keep the conversation going regarding flooding challenges Battle Creek faces while also taking the time to make sure all parties are on the same page with how to move forward.

In other action, a public hearing for the certification of new irrigated acres was held, and the FY 2026 Auditing Agreement with Dana F. Cole was approved.

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, June 25, 2026, at the Lower Elkhorn NRD office in Norfolk at 7:30 p.m. and on Facebook Live.