The Watershed and Flood Prevention Operations (WFPO) Program helps federal, state, local and tribal government (project sponsors) protect and restore watersheds up to 250,000 acres. This program provides for cooperation between the Federal government and the states and their political subdivisions to work together to prevent erosion; floodwater and sediment damage; to further the conservation development, use and disposal of water; and to further the conservation and proper use of land in authorized watersheds.

USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offers financial and technical assistance through this program to address almost any natural resource problem. Project objectives include flood prevention, agricultural water management, fish and wildlife habitat development, public recreation development, groundwater recharge, water quality, conservation and proper utilization of land, and municipal and industrial water supply. In order to be eligible for the funds, WFPO projects must have public sponsorship, protect and restore watersheds up to 250,000 acres, and the project benefits must be directly related to agriculture, including rural communities, and must be at least 20 percent of the total benefits for the project.

The Lower Republican NRD is the project sponsor – they are responsible for development of the project and watershed plan. They facilitate the process at the local level and coordinate with NRCS for ultimate approval.

As a part of the project process, the Lower Republican NRD (with assistance from consultants and the NRCS) will prepare a watershed plan that includes an environmental assessment (Plan-EA). The Plan-EA is document required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the NRCS that details the problems to be addressed (purpose and need of the project), the practices/solutions to be installed (project alternatives to address the purpose and need of the project), a thorough description of the project environment, and potential environmental effects due to the proposed solutions, and methods of financing.

The Plan-EA will address agricultural water shortages to provide a reliable water supply in water-short years, reduce flood related damages to agricultural properties, improve flood resiliency, and enhance groundwater recharge efforts in the Thompson Creek Watershed.

The Plan-EA will identify, investigate, and prioritize both structural and non-structural solutions (which will be referred to as alternatives in the Plan-EA) to meet the goals of the stakeholders. The Plan-EA will describe the proposed alternatives, costs, benefits, and environmental effects in detail. Potential project alternatives will include a no-action alternative to establish a baseline for comparison with potential project alternatives, along with the most effective locations for potential alternatives such as large dams, small dams, irrigation district conveyance structure improvements, and BMPs, in additional to other alternatives identified through the agency coordination and public involvement process.

The Plan-EA will evaluate social, economic, and environmental resources such as: cultural/historical resources (Section 106), tribal resources, environmental justice, parks and recreational areas, visual resources, transportation resources, land use, socioeconomics, wetlands and waters, vegetation and wildlife, threatened and endangered species, wildlife management areas, waterfowl production areas, hazardous materials and waste, and other relevant resources.

Your input and feedback are a critical component of the project process. You can provide comments at specific milestones during the Plan-EA process. Public comments are currently being collected as a part of the project kick off and can be provided through the comment form on this website, mailed as a hard copy to Stacey Roach at 601 P Street, Suite 200, Lincoln, NE 68508; or emailed to sroach@olsson.com through December 3, 2021. Another formal comment period will be provided to review the proposed project alternatives in the spring of 2022, and as a part of the review process for the Draft Plan-EA in the fall/winter of 2022. The public is encouraged to review and provide comments at all stages of the project. Additional project materials, including the Draft Plan-EA, will be available on this website and in hard copy at the Lower Republican NRD’s offices. The Draft Plan-EA is expected to be available for review in Fall 2022.

The estimated Final Plan-EA completion date is March 2023.