BLUEPRINT -- November 2021
New Incentive Program for Water Quality Improvement Approved
The Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District is offering a new incentive program for producers in portions of the Recharge Lake Watershed, the Beaver Creek Watershed, and some municipal Wellhead Protection Areas. Practices included in this program are cover crops, buffer/filter strips, and land treatment practices. The purpose of the program is to increase incentives for producers who are interested in installing these important conservation practices. Cover crops and buffer strips are simple ways to improve water quality, as they keep sediments and agrichemicals on the fields instead of washing into waterways. More...
Nitrogen Levels in Groundwater Lead to Increased Management
Two zones of the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District are moving from Phase II management to Phase III management as of January 1, 2022. This change is due to elevated median levels of nitrate in the groundwater in these areas. The Upper Big Blue NRD is divided into 12 groundwater quality Management Zones. The median nitrate value for that zone determines the phase of management and therefore, rules and regulations. More...
New Format for Annual Event
Now in its fifth year, the annual Project GROW Winter Workshop is going to look a little different this year. Rather than a narrow focus on soil health offered over the better part of a day, this year’s workshop will offer breakout sessions on a variety of agronomic topics and the program will be offered at two times (a morning and afternoon session option), to better suit participants’ schedules. Learn More...
Jones Named First Sponsorship Recipient
Amy Jones, executive director of Prairie Plains Resource Institute in Aurora, will be the first recipient of the Nebraska Water Leaders Academy sponsorship from the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District. This sponsorship opportunity was announced in 2020 and Jones is the first person to apply for the program through the NRD. More...
Students Plumb the Depths for Insights
Two college students recently completed a water quality analysis looking for nutrient pollution in the lake at Bruce L. Anderson Recreation Area Recharge Lake (York) over the summer months. The pair of young researchers collaborated with the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District staff, who manage the recreation area as well as water quality throughout the district, to design the project. More...
Nebraska Forestry Workshop Focuses on Windbreak Threats
Every year Nebraska’s 23 natural resources districts plant nearly a million trees across the state. Many of these trees are installed as windbreaks around crop fields, livestock barns, and homes. These windbreaks have many benefits, from increasing livestock survival rates and feed efficiency, to reducing field erosion and filtering pollutants, to reducing heating and cooling costs for homes. The Upper Big Blue hosted a statewide workshop recently that explored threats to windbreaks and other tree plantings. More...
Other News
Doing our best to make things better
Brisk celebrates milestone with NRD
Nancy Brisk came to the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District for the job, but she says it’s the people and the mission of the organization that have kept her there for 40 years. “The work we are doing is very important,” she said. And after all these years, “It feels like a family here,” she said of the staff and board members.
 
Brisk was recognized recently by the board of directors of the NRD for her four decades of service. More...
Sutton and York community projects supported by NRD funds
Quality of life in the district is impacted by many variables. Increasing access to outdoor recreation is part of the motivation for two recent projects supported by the NRD--a pedestrian bridge in Sutton and an all-inclusive playground in York.
Expansive Basin Modeling Project Nears Completion
To safeguard the water supply for all users and prevent future shortages, the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District has partnered with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources and three other NRDs in the Blue River Basin in an ambitious project. Since 2017, the group has been working with an engineering firm to conduct a comprehensive survey of the Blue River...more.
--Parting Shot--
Board members snip a ceremonial ribbon at Teal View Wetland Education Area during the annual board tour event in August.