Board Meetings

The Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) Board of Directors approved the 2026 Fiscal budget of expenditures for the purpose of holding a public hearing at their June meeting. The proposed budget of $31,798,760.61 is down from last year’s $34,714,184.14. The estimated property tax levy is the same as last year at $5,348,703.37. A public hearing for the proposed budget will be held at 1:45 p.m. on Thursday, July 31, 2025, immediately before the July board meeting. A hearing to set the tax request and levy will be held on the same day as the August board meeting.

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JUNE BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

Office and Education Center
The Board approved a request to establish a $4 million line of credit with Five Points Bank of Grand Island for CPNRD’s new office and education center. Construction began in August 2024 and is currently 40 percent complete. The 20,000-square-foot facility is located six miles west of Grand Island on 13th Street and scheduled to be finished in February 2026. The building will include 24 offices, a large boardroom that will also function as a classroom and meeting space, and a central corridor featuring interactive educational exhibits and space for community events.

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

- Legal Decision – Middle Republican NRD Lawsuit: Attorney Don Blankenau provided an overview of two Nebraska Supreme Court cases involving the same parties—Middle Republican NRD (MRNRD) vs. Mr. and Mrs. Hauxwell—heard on May 23, 2025. In the first case, the Court ruled that MRNRD acted appropriately in conducting evidentiary-style hearings for rule violations. In the second case, the Court again ruled in favor of MRNRD, determining that applications for approval of pooling agreements—like many other applications submitted to NRDs—are not judicial in nature and therefore do not constitute “orders” under the Nebraska Groundwater Management and Protection Act. Because they were not orders under that act, they could not be appealed.

- Water Task Force: The Governors Water Task Force held their first meeting in Kearney and committee assignments were chosen. Committee meetings are regularly scheduled and are not open to the public. Future Task Force meetings will be open to the public. Tom Downey, CPNRD Director, was appointed to the Nitrate Legacy and Drinking Water Committee.

- Silke Law LLC: Vanessa Silke, Attorney formerly of Baird Holme Law Firm, has opened Silke Law LLC. CPNRD has hired Vanessa to assist with the Platte Republican Diversion and other legal concerns in the past. CPNRD files have been transferred to her new firm.

Director Resignation:  Steve Sheen, Director of Subdistrict 3, has submitted his resignation to the CPNRD Board of Directors, effective immediately. Sheen was elected to the Board in 2007, succeeding Tom Brennan, and has served for 18 years. He served on several committees including Variance, Water Resources, Water Utilization, Western Projects, and Programs.

A Search Committee consisting of Marvion Reichert, Tom Downey, Brian Keiser, and Deb VanMatre, will interview candidates to fill the vacancy. Subdistrict 3 includes southwestern Buffalo County and the southeastern corner of Dawson County. The Board will consider the selected candidate at its July 2025 meeting. The appointed director will serve through December 2026. Letters of intent to fill the vacancy must be submitted by July 23, 2025, and can be mailed to: CPNRD, 215 Kaufman Ave., Grand Island, NE 68803
or emailed to: vogt@cpnrd.org. For help determining if you reside within Subdistrict 3, contact CPNRD at (308) 385-6282.

Assistant Manager’s Report
Jesse Mintken, Assistant Manager, reported on the following:

- Clear Creek Dam 6: The Board approved Amendment #1 for $4,000 from JEO Consulting to establish easement documentation and conduct the bidding process to rehabilitate the dam in Polk County, seven miles south of Columbus, NE. Repairs will include:

• Raising the dam crest because it had settled below the design elevation

• Rebuilding the wave berm

• Filling in erosion/rut at interface of dam and auxiliary spillway

• Filling in erosion/ruts on the auxiliary spillway backslope in two main spots

• General re-grading of the downstream exit portion of the auxiliary spillway

• Adding a small berm on downstream portion of auxiliary spillway to contain flows

• Fencing around the dam and auxiliary spillway

• Reseeding disturbed areas

- Open House Elm/Turkey Creek WFPO Project
The NRCS, JEO, and Central Platte NRD will host a public open house this summer in Kearney. The open house is part of the 30% design phase of the Elm/Turkey Creek Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program to keep the public informed on project progress. The planning area includes more than 106,000 acres of drainage, covering the entire Elm Creek Watershed, from its headwaters to the confluence with Buffalo Creek south of the Village of Elm Creek, and the full Turkey Creek Watershed which flows north of Elm Creek, past Odessa, and through the City of Kearney. As part of the design, two diversion channels will convey floodwater to the south and help prevent flood damages in the Kearney region. The west diversion channel is currently estimated at 50 feet in bottom width and 5,200 feet in length.

Groundwater Levels  Luke Zakrzewski, GIS Image Analyst, reported that the spring 2025 static groundwater levels showed a loss of only -0.80 feet District-wide compared to the levels in 1982. The 1982 levels were established as the baseline for the NRD’s Groundwater Management Plan, which includes maximum acceptable declines and a margin of safety calculated for each of the Groundwater Management Areas (GWAs). Since 1982, changes in the NRD’s 26 Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs) range from an increase of 15.78 feet in GMA 5 (Frontier and Buffalo counties), to a decrease of -9.92 feet in GMA 9B (Buffalo County). CPNRD staff reads over 400 wells each spring to monitor groundwater levels. For the 2025 assessment, 416 wells were measured, which Zakrzewski said equates to one well per 2,500 irrigated acres.

Tree and Weed Barrier Programs Update
Kelly Cole, Administrative Assistant, reported that 28,350 trees and shrubs were sold through CPNRD’s Conservation Tree Program in 2025, bringing the total to 3,950,612 since the program began in 1973. The program offers 35 varieties of seedlings with most stock grown at Nebraska’s Halsey National Forest. Orders are accepted annually from November 1 to April 1. Cole also reported that the Weed Barrier Program has sold 634 miles of fabric weed barrier since 1991. The weed barrier allows water and nutrients to reach the soil while reducing weed competition. For more information, visit cpnrd.org.

Staff Reports
Tricia Dudley, Water Quality Specialist; Brandi Flyr, Hydrologist; and Brody Vorderstrasse, Communications Assistant, presented overviews of their roles and responsibilities to the Board.

Natural Resources Conservation Service Report 
Kaitlin Stouffer, Resource Conservationist, Central City Field Office, reported that cost share has been approved for producers in Merrick County for cover crops, NSWCP pipelines and pivot conversion. She also reported on the contracts for EQIP, CSP and RCPP with 25 applications currently on file.

Joe Krolikowski, District Conservationist, provided a report stating that two projects are near completion. The Nebraska Soil Carbon Project provided producers cost share for adopting practices such as cover crops, no till, and/or diversified crop rotations. Partners: NRCS, CPNRD, Upper Big Blue NRD, The Nature Conservancy, Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC), Cargill, Target, and McDonald's. The RCPP Ogallala Aquifer and Platte River Recovery Project reduced water consumption by converting irrigated land to non-irrigated on a permanent or temporary basis with a focus in the over-appropriated area of the District from Gothenburg to Elm Creek and Groundwater Management Areas that are in declining status. CPNRD had 6 projects totaling $362,035.00. Partners: NRCS, CPNRD, Twin Platte NRD.

Nebraska Association of Resources District (NARD)
Deb VanMatre, CPNRD Representative, reported on the following NARD Board:
- Selected the 2025 conservation award recipients
- Extended the employment contract for Dean Edson, NARD Executive Director, through December 2026.
- Increased NRD membership dues 2.5%
- Approved no change to the NRD medical and dental program
- Coordinated the annual NRD Basin Tour hosted by the Middle Niobrara and Lower Niobrara NRDs. Each year, the NRD Basin Tour explores a different watershed offering a firsthand look at local conservation projects, natural resources challenges and successful partnerships. This year’s focus was the Niobrara River Basin, an ecologically diverse and economically vital region in north central Nebraska.

Nebraska Natural Resources Commission 
Doug Reeves, Middle Platte Basin Representative, reported that the Water Sustainability Fund received $5 million for FY2025-26 with 22 applications submitted. The WSF has two categories of projects: small projects (requests of $250,000 or less) and large projects (requests of $250,000 or more). An additional 10% of the fund is reserved for projects requesting $250,000 or less, and another 10% is designated for projects separating storm and sewer water.

Financial Report
The June financial report was approved.

Upcoming Board Meetings  
July 31, September 4 (August meeting), September 25, October 23