Logo Bottom

Alliance Programs

Present Projects

Camp Ashland River Obstruction Removal Project - Phase II: The project is almost completed, with the exception of a few clean-up items and grass seeding. In Phase II, we removed 6 large concrete and steel obstructions that were former road supports to 6' below the riverbed. We also extracted 11 additional wooden pilings from the same area. Last year in Phase I, we removed 6 concrete and steel obstructions. As we began to remove obstructions, we also discovered several other pieces of the supports that were buried next to the obstructions. To complete removal, we had to take out the additional pieces since they were lying against the supports. If you are interested in weekly photologs and reports, you can go to http://oaprojects.com/platteriver_obstruction/index.htm. Once you get to the website, you have to enter "Ashland531" for the user name and "w2j95mx$" as the password.

WQ Monitoring Network-Shell Creek Site: At the request of the coordinator, the USGS attended the January 3rd LPNNRD projects committee meeting to present a proposal to add Shell Creek to the LPRCA WQ Monitoring Network. This proposal comes on the heels of many discussions of priorities regarding water quality problems in the LPNNRD area. Shell Creek has suffered considerable negative impacts from both nonpoint sources contamination and point source "dumping" of manure and lagoon effluent over several years. This project will provide for one monitor to be placed along Shell Creek for the 2008 season (April to Sept/Oct.) along with additional sampling. (Website)

Lower Platte River Corridor Environmental Sustainability Assessment (ESA): The Lower Platte River Corridor Environmental Sustainability Assessment (ESA) is a multi-phase effort that will develop a planning framework for responsible, consistent, and sustainable development in the Lower Platte River Corridor. This effort involves assembling environmental and natural resource-related information and using it to develop tools to assist decision makers. These tools will help identify environmental considerations when making land use decisions.

Project Timeline-

Phase I consisted of data Identification, collection, evaluation, and organization. Data acquisition included land use plans, natural resources, water supply and wastewater management, and infrastructure for the entire Lower Platte River Corridor. Phase I was completed in March 2006. 
The information that was gathered in Phase I is being analyzed and mapped to create a coordinated, corridor-wide planning resource that evaluates issues such as floodplains, natural communities, protected lands, wellhead protection areas, and planned roadway improvements.

Phase II covers the area from Fremont to the Lower Platte River's confluence with the Missouri River. The purpose of this phase was to:

As part of this phase, local planning jurisdictions, environmental resource managers, utility companies, and aggregate mining companies were surveyed to gather input and identify environmental features that affect their specific land use planning and decisions.  This phase was completed in August 2008.

Currently, the project is in Phase III.  The same activities that occurred in Phase II are being repeated for an area from Columbus to Fremont. In addition, a land suitability assessment model is being developed in this Phase.  This model(s) provide an analysis to determine the suitability for various types of land use including recreation, development, water quality or supply, wildlife or conservation areas, agriculture, and mining.

Map Site-

Map data that has been collected for the ESA will be available via the NRD MapMaker system in spring 2009. Please check back then!

Cumulative Impact Study: This study aims to examine the cumulative effects of activities and practices in the Lower Platter River Corridor over time and the impact on the habitat and Platte River. Phase I - Scope Development was completed in August 2005. Phase II- Data Acquisition currently is underway and includes acquisitions of aerial photos and transect data for six time periods (1850, 1938, 1950's, 1970's, 1993, and 2003), land classification, a hydrologic study looking at changes in the river over time, and the development of an online internet mapping service to access the GIS information. Phase III - Prediction Model Development is an optional phase that could be used to predict the impact of future projects such as levees on the river corridor. Unfortunately , over the life of the project, we have been slowed by the COE's schedule and availability often due to deployments to Iraq and Hurricane Katrina duty.

Alliance Involvement

NE Innovation Zone Commission - (Website)

PACE-To develop and facilitate cooperation among and between communities, conservation interests and the sand/gravel producers of Nebraska.

NE Land Trust - (Website)

Nebraska Alliance Conservation Environment of Education- The NACEE seeks to foster an environmentally literate citizenry in Nebraska and serve as a leader in conservation and environment education. (Website)

NE/IA Metroplex Conference

Recent Issues

Nebraska Game & Parks Commission (NG&PC) Biological Opinion (BiOp) and Supporting Reports

The NG&PC has issued a draft Biological Opinion for the Lower Platte River Basin focusing on impacts of future surface water appropriations on 3 T&E species: the pallid sturgeon, the least tern, and the piping plover. This opinion has been a long time in the making and relies heavily on results from the 5-year Pallid Sturgeon/Sturgeon Chub Task Force report along with two additional research reports (Hydo Analysis of Lower Platte River & Ecology and Mgmt of Sturgeon) produced by Dr. Jim Parham and Dr. Ed Peters - - two well-known former UNL researchers. Check out NG&PC's website at www.ngpc.state.ne.us. for updates on this process. For a summary of the BiOp issue check out this flyer on the NG&PC website. View the NG&PC's presentation on the BiOp that was given at the LPRCA quarterly meeting held on October 30th, 2007.

New Lower Platte River Basin Determination by Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NDNR) - "Not Fully Appropriated"

The Nebrask a Department of Natural Resources (NDNR) made a determination on March 30, 2009, as required by state statute (originating bill - LB962), that the Lower Platte River Basin is " Not Fully Appropriated." The basis for overturning the original preliminary determination was the presence of new evidence.

Following the preliminary determination, additional information was released to the Department and the Natural Resource Districts. This information indicated that an erroneous method was used to calculate future ground water pumping under average climatic conditions. The erroneous method overestimated the amount of pumping, resulting in a greater estimate of the effect of average pumping on the Lower Platte River. The Department corrected the erroneous method and determined that the future effect of average pumping on the Lower Platte River would not currently cause the basin to be fully appropriated.

The Ground Water Management and Protection Act requires DNR to annually evaluate the expected long-term availability of hydrologically connected water supplies for both existing and new surface water uses and ground water uses in each of the State’s river basins. State law also requires that determinations on whether river basins, subbasins, or reaches are fully appropriated must be based upon the best scientific data, information and methodologies available.