Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District

1
Upper Big BlueNatural Resources District

• CONSERVATION IS THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS

2
Large Water Use Regulations

• Upper Big Blue NRD
• Groundwater Management Area
• Established 1977
• First regulations in 1979

3
Upper Big Blue Regulations

• 1999 Adopted large water user rule
• 2006 - First application for permit
• for large water use

4
Large Water User Rules

• Permit required for
• Construction of well or wells that are intended
  to pump 500 Acre Feet or more per year

5
Large Water User Rules

• Permit required for
• Construction of well or wells that are intended
  to pump 500 Acre Feet or more per year
• Increase pumping from existing well or wells to
  500 Acre Feet or more per year

6
Large Water User Rules

• Permit required for
• Construction of well or wells that are intended
  to pump 500 Acre Feet or more per year
• Increase pumping from existing well or wells to
  500 Acre Feet or more per year
• Increase pumping from existing well or wells
  currently withdrawing 500 Acre Feet or more per
  year by an additional 250 Acre Feet or more per
  year

7
Large Water User Rules

• 500 Acre Feet Rule applies to
• All wells
• Which are combined for the intended use
• Wherever located
• Without regard to ownership or control of the
  wells to be used

8
How much is 500 Acre Feet

• 162,925,500 gallons
• Water for a city of 1,500 people
• 300 gallons per capita per day
• 600 irrigated acres
• 10 of irrigation water

9
Hydrologic Evaluation

• Groundwater hydrologic study
• required prior to consideration for permit
• Applicant responsible for the study
• Conduct study or hire consultants
• Pay entire cost

10
Hydrologic EvaluationWhat Is It ?

• A ground water modeling study of existing and
  proposed ground water uses in the vicinity of a
  new large water use.

11
Hydrologic EvaluationWhy Is It Necessary ?

• Show pumping impact, if any,
• To existing groundwater users
• Domestic
• Municipal
• Agricultural
• Industrial
• To groundwater table for potential future uses
• 20 year projection

12
Hydrologic EvaluationAnalysis

• Is there sufficient ground water available for
  existing and new uses

13
Hydrologic EvaluationAnalysis

• Is there sufficient ground water available for
  existing and new uses
• Does the new use cause a decrease in available
  pumping head at existing wells
• If so, would the decrease in pumping head reduce
  the pumping capacity of existing wells

14
What then ?

• Approve Permit
• or
• Approve with conditions
• or
• Deny Permit
• or
• Request additional information

15
Basis of Regulations

• Impact to aquifers and surrounding wells

16
(No Transcript)
17
(No Transcript)
18
(No Transcript)
19
(No Transcript)
20
(No Transcript)
21
(No Transcript)
22
(No Transcript)
23
Other Restrictions

• No Offsets
• Because the Upper Big Blue NRD
• is not Fully Appropriated,
• except for a small area of Hamilton County along
  the Platte River

24
Other Restrictions

• No Offsets
• Because the Upper Big Blue is
• not Fully Appropriated,
• Transfer Limits
• From a tract of land to the adjoining government
  survey section
• (Basically one mile limit on transfer)

25
Applications and Studies

• Fairmont Ethanol
• Sutton Ethanol
• Aurora Ethanol
• Tamora Ethanol
• Bradshaw Ethanol
• Stromsburg Ethanol
• City of York municipal use

26
Fairmont Ethanol

• Ethanol capacity - 100,000,000 gallons
• Max pumping - 2,420 Acre Feet _at_ year
• Study showed additional
• T Value 16,334
• 3 ½ foot drawdown at ½ mile
• 2 foot drawdown at 3 miles
• Permit approved

27
Aurora Ethanol

• Ethanol capacity - 220,000,000 gallons
• Max pumping - 3,548 Acre Feet _at_ year
• Study showed additional
• T Value 15,294
• 4 foot drawdown at 3 miles
• 2 foot drawdown at 5 miles
• Permit approved

28
Sutton Ethanol

• Ethanol capacity - 110,000,000 gallons
• Max pumping - 1,935 Acre Feet _at_ year
• Study showed additional
• T Value 20,541
• 2 foot drawdown at 3 miles
• 1 foot drawdown at 5 miles
• Permit approved

29
(No Transcript)
30
Status of Applications

• Submitted Approved
• Fairmont Ethanol May 2006 Aug 2006
• Sutton Ethanol Jul 2006 Oct 2006
• Aurora Ethanol Jul 2006 Oct 2006
• Tamora Ethanol Nov 2006 First site short of
  water
• Bradshaw Ethanol Feb 2007 First 2 studies
  short of water
• City of York May 2007 More detailed study
  underway
• Stromsburg Ethanol Discussion stage

31
(No Transcript)
32
A Repeat of History
The Governor of Nebraska April 11,
1933 14th and N in Lincoln
33
(No Transcript)