South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD
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South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD September 2017 THIS PAGE LEFT INTENTIONALLY BLANK South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD Lower Loup Natural Resources District South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Prepared: September 2017 Accepted by EPA: September 2017 Acknowledgements Preparation of this watershed plan was made possible by funding assistance provided by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Nonpoint Source Pollution Management (CWA Section 319) Program. JEO Consulting Group, Inc. iii South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD Prepared for: Lower Loup Natural Resources District Prepared by: JEO Consulting Group, Inc. JEO Project Number: 121209.00 This watershed management plan was prepared to guide the Lower Loup Natural Resources District in developing and implementing future projects to improve water quality, hydrology, and aquatic resources in the South Loup River Watershed. The plan may also serve as a basis for seeking financial support for those projects. It has been written with guidance published in EPA’s “Handbook for Developing Watershed Plans to Restore and Protect Our Waters,” updated March 2008, including EPA’s Nine-Elements of a Successful Watershed Plan, utilizing a Community Based Approach, as discussed in NDEQ’s “Watershed Management Planning Guidebook for Communities.” Lower Loup NRD Contact Information: Tylr Naprstek, Modeling Coordinator 2620 Airport Dr. Ord, NE 68862 308.728.0210 [email protected] JEO Contact Information: ADAM RUPE | Natural Resources Specialist JEO CONSULTING GROUP INC 2700 Fletcher Avenue | Lincoln, Nebraska 68504-1113 d: 402.474.8742 | m: 402.322.0377 | o: 402.435.3080 | f: 402.435.4110 [email protected] JEO Consulting Group, Inc. iv South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD PLANNING PARTICIPANTS LOWER LOUP NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT • Leon “Butch” Koehlmoos, General Manager • Russel Callan, Assistant General Manager • Tylr Naprstek, Water Modeling Coordinator • Larry Schultz, Information and Education Coordinator CENTRAL PLATTE NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT • Lyndon Vogt, General Manager TWIN PLATTE NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT • Kent Miller, P.E., General Manager UPPER LOUP NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT • Anna Baum, General Manager NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY • Carla McCullough, Section 319 Nonpoint Source Coordinator • Ryan Chapman, Water Quality Assessment Section Supervisor • Laura Johnson, Integrated Report and TMDL Coordinator NEBRASKA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES • Tim Freed, Integrated Water Management Coordinator NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE • Bryce Bauer, District Conservationists NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION • Jared Lorensen, Fisheries Biologist JEO Consulting Group, Inc. v South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD OTHER STAKEHOLDERS Name Title* Agency, Association, or Interest* Alan Estergard Land Owner Allan McClure Land Owner Allen Conner Farmer Blaine Hagler Bob Hicks Bobbie JoChristensen Director Upper Loup NRD Clark Foran Farmer/Rancher Cory Peterson Land Owner/Farmer Dan Blowers Dan Mith Farmer/Land Owner Dan Olson Farmer/Land Owner Darrel Entz Landowner Dean Rasmussen Director Lower Loup NRD Dean Smith Mayor/Board Chairperson Village of Pleasanton Diane Kimball Land Owner Don Pandorf Landowner Ellen Mortensen Reporter KCNI/KBBN Radio Ethan Teter Farm Bill Wildlife Biologist Pheasants Forever Eric Nelson Garald Horst Jerry Studnicke Land Owner Jim Adams Land Owner Jim Nelson Director Lower Loup NRD Jim Phelps Land Owner Karl Reinhard Farmer/Land Owner Mitch Feldman Plant Manager Abengoa Bioenergy Pete Koubek Farmer Phil Dixon Landowner Roger and Marion Chesley Land Owner Rollie Amsberry Director Lower Loup NRD Ron Cool Roy Bierman Village Employee Village of Arnold Slane Cal Farmer Tim Chancellor Land Owner Tim Hickenbottom Farmer Tony Pitkin Troy Nichols Landowner *Self-Identified JEO Consulting Group, Inc. vi South Loup River Watershed Management Plan Lower Loup NRD TABLE OF CONTENTS Planning Participants ......................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ............................................................................................................................. vii List of Appendicies .......................................................................................................................... viii List of Tables ..................................................................................................................................... ix List of Figures ..................................................................................................................................... x List of Abbreviations and Acronyms .................................................................................................. xii Executive Summary .......................................................................................................................... xv Chapter 1. Introduction and Background ......................................................................................... 1 1.01 Purpose ....................................................................................................................................... 1 1.02 Watershed Planning Process ...................................................................................................... 2 1.03 Watershed Background .............................................................................................................. 5 1.04 Pertinent Water Quality Standards ............................................................................................. 7 1.05 Watershed Monitoring ............................................................................................................. 11 1.06 Existing Water Quality Programs .............................................................................................. 16 Chapter 2. Goals and Objectives .................................................................................................... 19 Chapter 3. Watershed Characterization ......................................................................................... 25 3.01 Demographic Summary ............................................................................................................ 25 3.02 Soils ........................................................................................................................................... 26 3.03 Topography ............................................................................................................................... 30 3.04 Climate ...................................................................................................................................... 32 3.05 Water Rights and Use ............................................................................................................... 33 3.06 Water Resources ....................................................................................................................... 35 3.07 Hydrology .................................................................................................................................. 48 3.08 Groundwater ............................................................................................................................. 54 3.09 Fish and Wildlife Resources ...................................................................................................... 56 Chapter 4. Land Use and Land Cover ............................................................................................. 61 4.01 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 61 4.02 Historical Land Use and Land Cover .......................................................................................... 61 4.03 Present Day Land Use and Cover .............................................................................................. 62 4.04 Agriculture Irrigation ................................................................................................................. 64 4.05 Other Facilities and Uses ........................................................................................................... 65 4.06 Current Treatment Level ........................................................................................................... 73 Chapter 5. Current Resource Condition ......................................................................................... 75 5.01 Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 75 5.02 Surface Water Quality Data ...................................................................................................... 75 5.03 Surface Water Body Assessments ............................................................................................. 78 5.04 Stream Stability Assessment ..................................................................................................... 83 5.05 Groundwater Quality ................................................................................................................ 87 5.06 Uplands ..................................................................................................................................... 89 5.07 Special Resource Areas