The Papio NRD is holding a wildlife wish list drive for Nebraska Wildlife Rehab (NWR), a non-profit organization that works tirelessly to rescue, rehabilitate and release thousands of wild animals and migratory songbirds each year. NWR doesn’t receive any state or government funding, so donations are critical. Please bring wish list items to the Papio NRD at 8901 S. 154th Street in Omaha through February 24th. Our wildlife friends thank you in advance!
A great opportunity for area landowners to learn about practices and programs to conserve natural resources from a variety of conservation partners. Free food and drinks, too!
The event is coordinated by the Papio NRD in association with the Papillion Creek Watershed Enhanced Water Quality Practices Program.
The United States Department of Agriculture, Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Nebraska announces the availability of a Draft Supplemental Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment (Draft Plan-EA) for the Papillion Creek Watershed. The sponsoring local organization (SLO) is the Papio-Missouri Natural Resources District (Papio NRD). The project proposes four sites (W-5, D-78, D-2, and S-15) with a series of grade stabilization structures, one stream restoration location (S-5), one sediment control basin (S-1) with grade stabilization, and one high hazard flood damage reduction dam with a permanent pool (WP-1, previously known as D-31). This project will provide flood risk reduction, recreation, and watershed protection benefits to the community. The proposed improvements may be partially funded by NRCS through the Watershed Protection and Flood Prevention Act of 1954 (PL 83-566) and the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP).
The proposed project is in Sarpy, Douglas, and Washington Counties, Nebraska. The National Environmental Policy Act and the Council on Environmental Quality’s regulations at Title 40 Code of Federal Regulations Parts 1500-1508 require evaluations of the potential effects of federally funded projects on human and natural resources. These evaluations include input from the public. NRCS has reviewed the potential impacts of the project and released a Draft Plan-EA for public and agency review.
Comments on the Draft Plan-EA may be submitted during a public comment period starting February 3, 2023 and ending on March 5, 2023. You can view the complete Draft Plan-EA here. Additional information can be found on the project website.
Comments may be emailed to Melissa Baier at melissa.baier@usda.gov, submitted via phone to 402-437-4065, or mailed to:
Melissa Baier, Acting Nebraska Watershed Planning Coordinator
Natural Resources Conservation Service
Federal Building, Room 152
100 Centennial Mall North
Lincoln, Nebraska 68508
Individuals who require alternative means for communication should contact Melissa Baier at 402-437-4065 or at melissa.baier@usda.gov at least 7 days prior to the end of the comment period.
Over the next six months, segments of the Keystone Trail will be closing due to the rehabilitation of 21 stormwater pipes by the Papio NRD. These closures will occur at various times throughout the project, and most are expected to last between four to six weeks. Closings for individual locations will be provided prior to the closing (and updated in this post), but users should anticipate disruption through May 2023. The areas in which the trail will be impacted can be seen on this interactive map, a graphic here, and are listed below.
Little Papio Channel/Levee Culvert (Pipe) Project
The northern portion of the Keystone Trail, between Q and Fort Streets, runs along the Little Papio Creek. Within the Little Papio Creek, there are many corrugated metal pipes that carry local stormwater into the channel that are nearing the end of their design life. As part of our duty as the local sponsor, the Papio NRD must remove and replace or rehabilitate these pipes to maintain adequate stormwater drainage throughout the City of Omaha.
The Little Papio Channel/Levee Culvert (Pipe) Project, which began in November 2022, includes the rehabilitation of 21 stormwater pipes. The Papio NRD has taken every effort to focus on rehabilitation of these pipes to minimize construction timelines and impacts to the construction areas. Regardless of the selected method of repair, trail accessibility will be impacted due to this project.
Trail Areas Impacted
We appreciate your patience. We know how important the trail is to all its users.
The Sarpy Wastewater Agency has informed the Papio NRD that the MoPAC Trail in/near Springfield will be closed until the end of the year. The trail will be closed from Capehart Road south to Fairview Road until December 31, 2022, due to the agency’s installation of a sanitary sewer line.
The closure will result in no access to/from the trail between these major street crossings. Anyone who would like to use the section of the trail from Capehart to the north (off the top of the map), or from Fairview to the south (off the bottom of the map) will be able to do so.
The entire length of the MoPac Trail along Hwy 31 stretching to and across the Lied Bridge is open for use.
If you planted cover crops this fall and would like to save some money next spring and improve your soil quality on your fields, a Roller Crimper might be the way to go. A Roller Crimper is an alternative option to terminate cover crops without costly herbicides or tillage in the spring. By crimping cover crops and rolling them over like a blanket on a field, it can improve weed suppression and reduce moisture evaporation from the soil. In a nutshell, it can be a win-win scenario.
Don’t want to spend thousands of dollars to try out a new piece of equipment? You’ll be happy to know that with the assistance of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), the Papio NRD has placed an order for a 31-foot Roller Crimper, which should be delivered this Fall. It will be available for local farmers to rent at very little cost.
We’ll be providing further details early next year on how to go about renting this Roller Crimper. You don’t have to do your entire field – maybe give it a try on a few acres and make your own judgement. It might just be something worth investing in for the future. Call Armando Zarco with any questions at (402) 350-3695.
The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District will close all access sites to the Elkhorn River for the season on the morning of November 1st. The access sites include Elkhorn Crossing Recreation Area, Graske Crossing, and West Maple Road. They will reopen April 1st. See you next season!
The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District Board of Directors announces a new Director filled its Subdistrict 7 vacancy.
The Board selected Josh Henningsen, an Omaha lawyer who works for the Nebraska Legislature as a committee legal counsel. Henningsen took the oath of office at Thursday’s board meeting. He replaces Danny Begley, who resigned in August.
Subdistrict 7’s boundaries roughly comprise of the Dundee/Benson neighborhoods to west of I-680 on Dodge Street.
A vacancy exists on the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District’s Board of Directors for the Director elected from Subdistrict #7. The vacancy will be filled by the Board of Directors. The person appointed must be a registered elector and reside in Subdistrict #7. A map of Subdistrict #7 can be found at https://bit.ly/subdistrict7 . The term of the office to be filled will expire in 2024.
Persons interested in being considered for appointment to this position should submit a letter of application to the District. The letter must be submitted to the Board of Directors at the District’s principal office, 8901 S. 154th Street, Omaha, NE 68138, postmarked no later than September 29, 2022 or delivered to the District office by 4:00 p.m. on September 29, 2022. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please call John Winkler at 402-444-6222.
At its September 8th meeting, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD) Board of Directors voted to approve the Fiscal Year 2023 general operating budget that includes a decrease in the Papio NRD property tax levy.
“We realize that historically high inflation is negatively impacting many of our constituents’ finances,” said John Winkler, general manager of the Papio NRD. “Through methodical and conservative financial management this budget allows the Papio NRD to lower its property tax levy while simultaneously funding critical public safety projects. This fiscal year’s total budget requirements, operating budget, and property tax levy are all lower than last fiscal year,” said Winkler.
For 17 out of 18 years, the Papio NRD has either decreased or kept the tax levy the same. The District will drop its property tax mill levy by 2.6% this fiscal year.
“The Papio NRD’s budgeting philosophy has been to levy only what is needed to adequately fund vital flood mitigation, conservation, erosion and sediment control projects, and the prudent management of our state’s critical natural resources,” said Winkler.
The Papio NRD’s FY23 property tax levy would drop to .0348 per $100 of assessed valuation from the District’s FY22 property tax levy of 0.357 per $100 of assessed valuation. Under this budget, a homeowner in the District with property valued at $150,000 would pay $52.14 a year or $4.34 a month in property taxes next year to support Papio NRD projects, programs, and services. The budget calls for an estimated $30 million in revenue from the Papio NRD’s property tax levy. The total operating budget is estimated at $80.1 million.
The property tax levy is based on an estimated 8.57% increase in valuations across the District, which includes all of Sarpy, Douglas, Washington, and Dakota counties, plus the eastern 60% of Burt and Thurston counties.
The Papio NRD receives less than 2% of all property taxes collected within the District’s six-county area. The remaining 98% goes to schools, cities, counties, and other taxing entities.