News Release

UENRD Completes Third Irrigated Acre Sign-Up!!

Created by the Nebraska State legislature in 2009, LB 483 allowed the Upper Elkhorn NRD the opportunity to expand new irrigated acres within a portion of the district.  This portion of the district was preliminarily labeled fully-appropriated in 2008. Without this legislation and the reversal of the preliminarily fully-appropriated designation by the Department of Natural Resources, no new irrigated acre development would have been allowed after 2008.  However, new development is being allowed between 2009-2012.  The legislation allowed 10,000 acres to be developed over the four year period and the UENRD allotted 2500 acres per year with any unused acres rolling over into the next signup period.  As a result of unused acres and acres revoked because the expansion was not completed, the UENRD had a total of 4030 new irrigated acres available in January 2011.  A total of 8675 acres were requested during the January 2011 sign up period with only 4030 acres of expansion available.  At a special meeting, February 2, 2011 to review the applications, the UENRD Board approved 4065 acres based on their criteria score.  Cooperators receiving approval for new irrigated acres need to fulfill their applications and have the acres irrigated by October 1, 2011.  These new irrigated acres will consist of new pivot development and areas which could not be previously irrigated due to an obstruction of the pivot.  Cooperators not fulfilling their obligation and not irrigating the new acres will have them revoked.  Revoked acres will roll over into the January 2012 sign-up, which under LB 483 is the last sign-up.  Out of the three sign-ups the UENRD has approved 7535 acres. For further information, LB 483 maps or to review the Groundwater Management Plan Rules and Regulations, please visit the Upper Elkhorn NRD website at www.uenrd.org.