NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

RELATING TO THE NEMAHA NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT AND THE NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES

VOLUTARY INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT PLAN

Pursuant to Neb. Rev. Stat. § 46-718, the Nemaha Natural Resources District (NRD) and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR) hereby provide notice that the Nemaha NRD and the NeDNR shall hold a public hearing on Thursday April 14th, 2022, at 9:00 a.m. at the Nemaha NRD offices, 62161 US Hwy 136, Tecumseh, NE 68450. As required by Neb. Rev. Stat. § 46‑718(1), the purpose of the hearing is to take testimony on the proposed jointly developed Nemaha NRD and NeDNR voluntary Integrated Management Plan (IMP) and the proposed groundwater and surface water controls. The geographic area for the proposed voluntary IMP encompasses the entire land area within the Nemaha NRD boundary.   The outlined contents and chapters of the proposed voluntary IMP are:  1. Authority and Effective Date, 2 Purpose, 3. Background, 4. Description of the Nemaha Natural Resources District, 5. Integrated Management Planning Process, 6. Stakeholder and Public Involvement, 7. Goals, Objectives and Action Items, 8. Geographic Extent of Control Areas, 9. Controls, 10. Incentive Programs, 11. Funding Options, 12. Monitoring Plan, and 13. Modifications to the Integrated Management Plan, and Appendices.

Chapter 9 of the voluntary IMP describes the proposed controls for groundwater management and proposed controls for surface water management which apply to the entire geographic area of the Nemaha NRD, maps of which are provided in Chapter 8.  The groundwater controls to be implemented by the NRD are: 1. Required metering devices on all new high-capacity (pumping greater than 50 gallons per minute) wells and/or modified irrigation wells and/or irrigation systems, commercial, industrial, or municipal water supply systems. The proposed surface water controls to be implemented by NeDNR are: 1. Required measuring devices on any new high-capacity surface water irrigators; and 2. Continued enforcement of the administration of surface water controls. 

Any interested person may appear at the public hearing and present written or oral testimony concerning the proposed voluntary IMP and proposed groundwater and surface water controls.  Written testimony may also be submitted in advance to the Nemaha NRD, 62161 US Hwy 136, Tecumseh, NE 68450, attention Kyle Hauschild, or the Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 94676, Lincoln NE 68509-4676, attention Carrie Wiese, or by electronic mail at khauschild@nemahanrd.org or carrie.wiese@nebraska.gov.  Advance written testimony must be received by 4:30 p.m., Wednesday April 13th, 2022, to be considered.  

Individuals with disabilities may request auxiliary aids and service necessary for participation by contacting Kyle Hauschild, Nemaha NRD at (402) 335-3325 by 4:30 p.m. Wednesday April 13th, 2022.  

The full text of the proposed voluntary IMP and proposed controls may be obtained via the Nemaha NRD’s website at https://www.nemahanrd.org or telephone at (402) 335-3325 or the NeDNR’s website at: https://dnr.nebraska.gov or telephone at (402) 471-2363.  Within 60 days after the public hearing, the Nemaha NRD and the NeDNR will make a joint decision whether to implement the proposed voluntary IMP with or without modifications and whether to adopt and implement the controls proposed in the voluntary IMP.