NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT PROFILE LOWER ELKHORN NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan Update 2020 Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 1 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Local Planning Team Table LEK.1: Lower Elkhorn Local Planning Team Name Title Jurisdiction Curt Becker Projects Manager LENRD Brian Bruckner Assistant General Manager LENRD Kristie Freudenburg Grant Coordinator LENRD Location and Geography The Lower Elkhorn NRD is located in north eastern Nebraska and is comprised of all of Pierce, Wayne, Madison, Stanton, and Cuming Counties and portions of Antelope, Burt, Cedar, Colfax, Dixon, Dodge, Knox, Platte, Ponca, and Thurston Counties (Figure LEK.1). Major waterways in the area include the Elkhorn River, Dry Creek, Willow Creek, Deer Creek, Meridian Creek, Logan Creek, Maskenthine Creek, and Union Creek. The Lower Elkhorn NRD topographic regions include plains, valleys, and valley-side slopes and a vast majority of the NRD land is characterized by agricultural lands.i Figure LEK.1: Lower Elkhorn NRD Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 2 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Transportation The NRD’s major transportation corridors include U.S. Highway 20 with 2,400 vehicles a day, U.S. Highway 81 with 8,500 vehicles a day, U.S. Highway 275 with 6,100 vehicles a day, and several state highways.ii The major railroads which travel through the NRD include the BNSF Railway and Nebraska Central Railroad Company. Transportation information is important to hazard mitigation plans because it suggests possible evacuation corridors in the community, as well as areas more at risk to transportation incidents. Demographics The NRD does not collect the demographic information of the district’s population, nor does the U.S. Census Bureau recognize the NRD as a distinct unit. As a result, there is no population data generated specifically for the NRD. For information regarding population data, please refer to a specific jurisdiction’s community profile or to Section Three: Demographics and Asset Inventory. Future Development Trends In May 2018, the Lower Elkhorn NRD moved its office to a new location at 1508 Square Turn Boulevard in Norfolk. The NRD is applying for funding to construct a dam at Battle Creek. Some of the possible benefits from this project include flood control and aquifer recharge. Parcel Improvements and Valuation Please refer to the individual Community Profiles for information regarding parcel improvements, valuation, and discussion for specific jurisdictions across the planning area. Critical Infrastructure/Key Resources Chemical Storage Fixed Sites Chemical sites are located throughout the NRD. Complete lists of chemical storage sites in each jurisdiction may be found in their community profile. Critical Facilities Each participating jurisdiction identified critical facilities vital for disaster response, providing shelter to the public, and essential for returning the jurisdiction’s functions to normal during and after a disaster. Critical facilities were identified during the original planning process and updated by the local planning team as a part of this plan update. The following table and figure provide a summary of the critical facilities for the jurisdiction. Table LEK.2: Critical Facilities Located in CF Red Cross Generator Floodplain Number Name Shelter (Y/N) (Y/N) (Y/N) 1 Cowboy Trail-Norfolk Connector N N Y 2 Lower Elkhorn NRD Building N N N 3 Maple Creek Recreation Area N N Y 4 Maskenthine Lake Recreation Area N N Y 5 Pilger Recreation Area N N Y 6 Willow Creek State Recreation Area N N Y Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 3 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Figure LEK.2: Critical Facilities *Special Flood Hazard Area was digitally traced from the hard copy FEMA Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRM). This estimated floodplain traced from the FIRM should not be used for flood insurance purposes, the actual FIRM should be used. Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 4 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Historical Occurrences For the complete discussion on historical occurrences, please refer to Section 4: Risk Assessment. Hazard Prioritization For an in-depth discussion regarding area wide hazards, please see Section Four: Risk Assessment. Governance The Lower Elkhorn NRD is governed by a group of 15 elected Board of Directors and entrusted with a broad range of responsibilities to protect and enhance Nebraska’s many natural resources. The NRD serves both incorporated and unincorporated areas within their district and has the capability to financially and administratively assist villages, cities, and counties with mitigation actions (most commonly flood control and drainage improvements). The following positions are under the General Manager and may help implement mitigation projects: Projects Manager Program Manager Program Assistants Parks Superintendent Conservation Aides Parks Assistant Part-Time Employees Administrative Supervisor Office Assistants Assistant General Manager/Water Information and Education Specialist Resources Manager GIS Specialist Rural Water Water Resources Operations System Technician Bazile Groundwater Management Area Financial Secretary Project Coordinator Part-Time Staff Capability Assessment The NRD has the authority to levy taxes for specific purposes and to issue general obligation bonds to finance certain projects. The NRD also regularly engages in public education and information programs related to hazard mitigation in the area, and routinely works with other counties, cities, and villages within their jurisdictional boundaries. Table LEK.3: Capability Assessment Overall Capability Limited/Moderate/High Does your agency have the financial resources needed to Moderate implement mitigation projects? Does your agency have the staff/expertise to implement Moderate projects? Does your agency have the community support to implement Moderate projects? Does your agency staff have the time to devote to hazard Moderate mitigation? Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 5 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Plan Integration The NRD has several plans which relate to hazard mitigation. A brief summary of these plans is listed below. Lower Elkhorn NRD Master Plan - 2010 This plan includes the overall goals and objectives for the NRD, which are consistent with the goals of the HMP. One goal identified in the plan is to conserve groundwater quantity and quality. The plan includes a number of objectives to achieve that goal. Flood control projects identified within the Master Plan are consistent with the projects identified within the HMP. The LENRD updates the Master Plan every ten years. The next Master Plan update is scheduled for 2020 and the NRD will evaluate projects in the HMP for inclusion in the Master Plan. Groundwater Management Plan - 2018 This plan serves as a foundation for decision-making while managing groundwater resources within the district. The plan outlines the regulatory actions that the district will take when groundwater quantity or quality problems arise. The Groundwater Management Plan is reviewed annually. The drought portion of the HMP will be incorporated into future updates of the Groundwater Management Plan as it will be utilized to identify data sources and allocation levels for future water consumption. The definition of drought provided in this document and the Drought Management Plan will be a foundation of data to inform updates to the Groundwater Management Plan. Integrated Management Plan - 2018 This voluntary integrated management plan provides the framework for wise, long-term management of water resources. The purpose of the plan is to achieve and sustain a long-term balance between District water uses and water supplies. This is achieved through coordinated management of hydrologically connected groundwater and surface water. Projects identified in the HMP will be evaluated for inclusion within future updates to the Integrated Management Plan. Drought Management Plan - 2017 The Drought Management plan defined drought locally and identified processes in order to respond and manage the impacts of future drought events. The plan provides the foundation of the drought portion of the HMP and will be adopted as an appendix of the HMP. Bazile Groundwater Management Plan – 2016 This plan was developed jointly by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, Lewis & Clark NRD, Lower Elkhorn NRD, Lower Niobrara NRD, and Upper Elkhorn NRD to address water quality concerns within Antelope, Knox, and Pierce counties. The plan identifies strategies to protect groundwater supplies and manage the level of contaminants present in the plan area. If water supplies decline during periods of drought, water quality could be negatively impacted. No other examples of plan integration were identified. Other than specified, there are currently no plans to further integrate existing or future planning mechanisms. Lower Elkhorn NRD Hazard Mitigation Plan | 2020 6 Section Seven: Lower Elkhorn NRD Community Profile Mitigation Strategy Ongoing and New Mitigation Actions Action Alert Sirens Perform an evaluation of existing alert sirens in order to determine which Analysis sirens should be replaced or upgraded. Install new sirens where lacking. Hazard(s) Addressed All Hazards Estimated Cost $15,000+ Potential Funding HMGP, General NRD Fund Timeline 1-2 years Priority