September 3, 2026 at 7:30 AM - Projects Committee Meeting

Rationale:  We are awaiting a new JWMAB agreement as the old agreement is expired.

Rationale:  Dodge County received the closeout letter (attahced) for the Rawhide WFPO planning project.  Next steps would be to determine the desire to proceed with construction/implementation of the plan.

Rationale: 

Chapman attended an August 17 meeting with Dodge County and Cotterell Dike officials to discuss concerns along the Platte River. A request for planning funding was submitted to NEMA earlier this year; however, the timeline for receiving funding remains uncertain given current FEMA funding levels.

The immediate concern is an area near Eason Lake where the river is actively cutting into the bank. A permanent solution will likely require engineering, hydraulic modeling, and permitting, and could include a series of jetties or other river stabilization measures costing several million dollars. In the interim, additional clean concrete may be needed for future emergency stabilization efforts. Concrete could be stockpiled or placed in an upland area outside of jurisdictional waters, where permitting would not be required.

Rationale: 
Below are seven cover crop applications submitted by Bill Bos:

Daniel Gehring	Cover Crop (154ac)	$4,605
Kaden Gehring	Cover Crop (107ac)	$3,210
Kail Lichtenfeld	Cover Crop (154ac)	$4,614
Chad Sander	Cover Crop (130ac)	$3,900
Jon Gehring	Cover Crop (139ac)	$4,170

A&M Farms

Cover Crop (160ac)

$4,800

Don Marking

Cover Crop (160ac)

$4,800

Applications total cost-share = $30,099

Rationale:  This past month work completed includes:

• TCI completed the riser structure, inlet pipe, and trash rack on 26B
• TCI started work on the additional foundation drain on 26A
• Shanahan continued with embankment fill and began riprap placement on 26B

Work planned for the month of September:

• TCI will complete riser structure, and inlet, on 27.
• Shanahan mobilized a second crew to site 27 to allow for dirt work on sites 26 and 27 to be completed simultaneously.

TCI invoice attached
Olsson construction services invoice attached

Rationale:  The ACOE issued our 404 permit for the final six sites.
Olsson has been working on final comments from DWEE for site 84 permits and expect it within the next couple weeks.  Site 77 has been through regulatory review and is in final review with Tim Gokie, DWEE Dam Safety.  
Olsson has prepped bidding documents for our next set of dams; plans right now are to have sites 55 & 84 to be grouped together and site 77 to be on its own.  

Invoice and progress report attached
 

Rationale:  With Phase 1 of construction nearing completion, and permits being finalized, we are ready to go to bid for Phase 2 of construction.  Olsson has prepared bid documents for sites 55, 84, and 77 that are ready to be advertised.  Sites 55 & 84 will be combined in one package and site 77 will be a separate package.  This was done to accommodate for the funding timing uncertainty with NRCS' WFPO allocation.
Proposed bid schedule would be:

• Advertise bids 9/15
• Site visits 10/7 @10:00am
• Bids due 10/27 @2:00pm
• Award bid 11/9

Olsson would advertise through their professional service and the NRD will also post requests for bids.

Rationale:  Updates for remaining acquisitions.
Invoice attached for Olsson services

Rationale:  The Wahoo Creek Watershed 319 Project review process has been completed and the LPNNRD can now use those funds for the cost-share of BMPs within the Wahoo Creek Watershed.

The City of Ashland is holding their city council meeting on September 3rd with Lower Platte South giving a presentation on cost-sharing that will be available for producers within the Wellhead Protection Area that includes both of our districts.

The public unveiling of the new OneRed program will be announced during Husker Harvest days. There will be training for implementation of this program sometime in early October.

Rationale: 

Attached is an RFP to select a consultant to complete a Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Plan-EA) for the Skull & Bone Creek Watersheds through the NRCS Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program. The Plan-EA will follow the NRCS planning process to further evaluate watershed problems and opportunities, develop and compare alternatives, and identify a recommended plan for future implementation.

The proposed RFP due date is November 13, 2026, which will provide staff and Directors time to review proposals prior to committee meetings, with anticipated consultant selection and Board approval on December 14, 2026.

Rationale:  Jordan Wachal with Mainelli Wagner & Associated will be on zoom to update the committee on the status of the project.

Rationale:  Additional adoption resolutions have been submitted to NEMA.  This is expected to be all of them as the deadline is August 22, 2026.  Comparing resolution submitted for past plans we are only missing two:

• Village of Bruno
• Village of Surprise

Multiple reminder calls and emails were made by JEO and NRD staff.