2024 LEWIS AND CLARK NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT – YEAR IN REVIEW
In 2024, the Lewis & Clark Natural Resources District (LCNRD) board of directors implemented conservation practices, projects, and services in Northeast Nebraska to benefit local natural resources. LCNRD activities are led by eleven locally elected directors: Carolyn Heine, St. Helena; Russ Schmidt, St Helena; Jeff Steffen, Crofton; Marcel Kramer, Crofton; Chris Johnson, Bloomfield; Dave Condon, Creighton; Carly Christensen, Hartington; Dan Kollars, Hartington; Matt Weinandt, Wynot; Curtis Armstrong, Ponca; and Carl Lamb, Allen.
LCNRD provides cost share to district landowners and operators through several local, state, and federal programs to financially assist in implementing conservation practices. Funds in 2024 were provided to protect land and water resources, which included grass seedings, planned grazing systems, irrigation management, brush management, windbreak renovations, well sealing, and tree plantings. Cost Share assistance contracts for Best Management Practices (BMPs) were approved for the Bow Creek Watershed Project (BCWP) to address E. coli in surface water and Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) to address nitrates in the groundwater. Technical assistance for many of the programs offered by LCNRD is provided by conservation partners, such as the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Nebraska Forestry (NFS), and Nebraska Game and Parks Commission (NGPC).
The BCWP was initiated in 2019 to address surface water quality impacts on Bow Creek's recreational use due to E. coli contamination. The project promotes BMP cost-share programs and education through field days, producer meetings, and student engagements, to name a few.
Many areas of the district are experiencing increased nitrate levels, including the BGMA near Creighton, which has been designated to address high nitrate levels in groundwater. LCNRD works with local producers to reduce nitrate contamination in the BGMA and across the district through educational programs and implementing BMPs to address contamination where nitrate concentrations are nearing or exceeding the maximum contaminate level (MCL) of 10 ppm.
Educational events for BCWP and BGMA promote BMPs for conservation farming practices, including cover crop planting and termination methods, no-till systems, irrigation management, and nutrient management. BCWP and BGMA teamed up to host the first annual Northeast Nebraska Ag Conference in Norfolk, NE, providing a place for conservation beginners and veterans to learn and share their ideas about cropland conservation.
Groundwater quality and quantity trends are monitored in 243 irrigation, domestic, and/or stock wells and 70 dedicated observation wells across the district. LCNRD began a 5-year rotation during the 2024 irrigation season to collect water quality samples from all irrigation wells across the district. Residents will receive nitrate results for the tested well(s), information about potential health impacts related to nitrate levels that exceed the EPA-established MCL of 10 ppm, and information about accounting for nitrate in irrigation water when planning for fertilizer application. LCNRD has also been working with other BGMA NRDs to develop a new reporting platform that facilitates the submission of BGMA Phase III Annual Reports. The new reporting procedures will be used for the 2024 reporting cycle, and information about this new reporting platform will be mailed to landowners, operators, and crop consultants who operate in the BGMA Phase III area.
Natural resources education is a priority of the directors and staff. In 2024, LCNRD presented “We All Live in A Watershed” at the 30th annual water festival, “Aquafest,” for area 5th graders and volunteered at the 35th annual “Wonderful World of Water” for high schoolers. LCNRD provided an extensive list of educational activities to local classrooms. Acorn Was A Little Wild was read to area kindergarten classes, where they were shown the lifecycle of trees and their importance to nature. Kindergarteners across the district were given a Black Hills Spruce seedling as part of the Arbor Day program.
During Soil and Water Stewardship Week, workbooks, activity placemats, and bookmarks are provided to area churches and schools for distribution to their congregations and students. This year’s theme was “May the Forest Be With You, Always.” The National Association of Conservation Districts (NACD) sponsors Soil and Water Stewardship Week. “Home is Where the Habitat Is” is the 2025 NACD Stewardship Week theme. This theme highlights the essential role of natural resources and managed habitats in conservation efforts.
LCNRD is proud to implement many programs to benefit and protect the lives, property, and future of Northeast Nebraska. For more information, contact the LCNRD at 402-254-6758 or stop in the office at 608 N. Robinson Ave, Hartington, NE 68739.