Little Blue NRD hears presentation on wellfield, landowners voice concerns

DAVENPORT, NE — As a southeast Nebraska town and Natural Resources District (NRD) look at the possibility of a new wellfield, local landowners in the area a raising concerns.

The City of Fairbury and the Little Blue NRD are looking to add new wells in an area south of Daykin to pump water for the city and NRD projects. They’re concerned over rising nitrate levels in areas the city currently pumps water from.

The two hired Leonard Rice Engineering (LRE) Water to prepare models to show the potential impacts on existing irrigation wells used by area farmers.

LRE’s Midwest Project Manager Jon Mohr presented their findings to the city council last week and NRD Board Tuesday.

"In Nebraska, I've done a lot of work with Little Blue NRD," he said. "I've worked with Fairbury. We specialize in pretty much of everything water, mostly hydrology."

The report defined a significant impact on water levels as a 15 percent reduction in aquifer head. Mohr says even their model that predicts a “worst case scenario” doesn’t show those conditions.

"If your question is are you going to impact neighboring wells, our answer, and it's written in the report, is that you will not," Mohr said answering a question from a board member.

The model did show some areas seeing a 10 percent reduction, however. Landowners that pump water for irrigation in those areas that could see high reduction in aquifer head debated the point on the level of impact the project will have. They’ve formed a group called the Jefferson County Water Rights Coalition.

They suggested alternatives like looking at other locations, building a nitrate treatment plant or pumping directly from the Little Blue River.

One landowner David Endorf spoke at length at the NRD meeting.

He pleaded with the board to consider the farmers and families who live closest to the proposed project area.

"What we need to be looking at is the six square miles, the six sections, that are part of this project and surround it," Endorf said. "These are the people that are going to be effected."

Endorf says he has well within a quarter-mile of one of the proposed pumps and could see a big drop in water levels at his pump as a result. He posed this question to the board Tuesday.

"Think about how would you react if this project what next to you," Endorf said.

That garnered this response from executive committee chairman Alan Wiedel.

"So is that what this is all about, Dave, it's 'not in my backyard?,'" Wiedel said.

Fellow board member Jesse Von Spreckelsen also chimed in.

"There's a lot of pride and a lot of care for your neighbors," Von Spreckelsen said to Endorf. "My question is, since you have such concerns, are you okay with us, if this doesn't pass, putting in a stay on well drilling and allocations because we don't want your neighbor to pump you dry."

Other speakers raised concerns about nitrates at the proposed location. That concern was also raised at the Fairbury City Council meeting with requests to look into the matter further. 

Concerns were also raised on the date range of data used to make the models. LRE used well meter readings and other data on the area that ranged from 2016-2021. They believe utilizing a larger date range, and therefore more data, would provide a more accurate projections in the models. 

While not committing to moving forward with the wellfield, both the city and NRD approved allowing Miller and Associates, a civil engineering and consulting firm, to provide updated costs and funding options for the project.