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Year: 2018

Recycle Your Pesticide Containers

Pesticide Container Collections for Dakota and Thurston County

Dakota and Thurston County farmers and pesticide applicators will again have the opportunity to recycle pesticide containers to help protect water and air quality in our area.  One collection site will be staffed for inspection and the collection will be open to the public each Wednesday during June and July as follows:

South Sioux City – Central Valley Ag (Junction of U.S. Hwy 20 and NE 110)

11:00 a.m. to Noon

 In addition to the 1, 2 and 5-gallon plastic containers, the 15, 30 and 50-gallon plastic drums will also be accepted for recycling.  All plastic pesticide containers and drums must be properly cleaned and prepared to be acceptable for recycling.  This includes being triple-rinsed or power washed and have the plastic caps and wrappers removed.  These containers and drums must be free of visible chemical residue on the inside and outside.

This activity to help protect the environment is possible through the cooperation of the Omaha Tribe of Nebraska and Iowa, the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska, the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD), UNL Extension, four agri-businesses, the Nebraska Loess Hills Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Council, and the Agricultural Container Research Council (ACRC).

During 2017 more than 13,000 plastic pesticide containers (nearly 4 tons) were inspected, collected and shredded to make more pesticide containers, parking lot stops, pallets, and plastic lumber.  Since 1995 more than 232,000 (102.5 tons) containers have been recycled in Dakota and Thurston Counties and kept out of landfills.

For more information about recycling plastic agricultural pesticide containers contact your local NRD, RC&D, Extension office or USDA Service Center.

 

156th Street Trail Closure

Starting Monday May 21st, the section of trail along the old 156th street right-of-way inside the Chalco Hills Recreation Area will be closed in order for crews to remove the existing asphalt trail and replace it with a wider section of concrete.  This section of trail will be closed for approximately 3-4 weeks.

 

 

New Groundwater Management Rules and Regulations Effective March 1

Following the adoption of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District’s (P-MRNRD) new Groundwater Management Plan in February, new rules and regulations go into effect on March 1, 2018.  While this may seem ominous, the new rules don’t require everything to change all at once.

For instance, requirements to follow new fertilizer application dates won’t apply until after the 2018 crops are harvested.  Once crops are harvested, organic and low-level non-organic nitrogen fertilizer (<40 lbs N per acre) can be applied in all areas of the District.  Application of higher levels of non-organic nitrogen fertilizer (>40 lbs N per acre) must wait until after March 1, 2019, in the Platte and Elkhorn River valley (HCA area) and until after November 1, 2018, across the rest of the NRD (Non-HCA area).

The main requirement that does go into effect March 1, 2018, is that anyone within the District proposing to construct a high capacity well (those pumping over 50 gallons per minute) must submit for a Water Supply Well Permit from the District.  The application form for the permit is available online, or can be printed and submitted via email, fax at 402-896-6543, or by mail.  Please visit our Groundwater Quantity page for instructions and more details.

 

 

Finally, the District will be reviewing and considering a new Groundwater Management Program cost-share policy at its Subcommittee and Board of Directors meetings on March 6th and 8th respectively.  This policy would make cost-share available from the NRD to landowners to improve irrigation efficiency and help landowners in Phase II Groundwater Quality Management areas pay for soil nutrient testing.  It would also provide cost-share for up to five years for irrigators in the Platte and Elkhorn River valley to purchase and install flow meters.  After five years, flow meters will be required on all irrigation wells in this area.

It is also the intention of the NRD to continue to offer educational opportunities about the new Groundwater Management Plan in areas across the District.  Topics will include irrigation management, nutrient management, domestic well groundwater testing and wellhead protection.

 

 

The Time to Plan a Windbreak is Today

The past few years, northeast Nebraska, as well as other parts of the Midwest, have experienced some extreme weather conditions.  From flooding, to blistering heat, lack of rainfall, and strong winds have all taken a toll on the land, livestock, and wildlife that make this area of Nebraska unique.  Nature provides us with a tool that we can use to help protect against extreme weather forces and that tool is trees!

Trees provide several benefits for landowners and producers.  Trees provide protection for crops and livestock.  They protect soil from wind erosion, and well-designed shelterbelts can distribute drifting snow more evenly across the fields.  Trees can provide shelter in the winter and shade in the summer which can lessen the stress on livestock.

 

 

Trees can also provide benefit for humans.  Trees can reduce home heating and cooling costs by up to 30% by planting a good shelterbelt.  They can minimize snow drifts in roads, driveways, and around the house or farm.  Trees can even be used to help with noise reduction.

Trees also provide numerous benefits for wildlife.  Shelterbelts can provide habitat for wildlife, and they can also provide stream bank stabilization for streams and rivers.  Steam bank stabilization helps protect aquatic habitat, and trees can also help remove contaminants that would otherwise get into our water.

The Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (NRD) would like to encourage landowners to start planning now.  Orders are currently being taken at all NRD and USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) offices for planting in the spring.  Landowners can order from a list of some forty-one species of trees and shrubs.  The price for 25 seedlings is $22.

For more information about tree orders, planting or the NRD cost-share program, contact the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and NRD office located at 1505 Broadway in Dakota City or by phone at (402) 494-4949.  A listing of all conservation trees and shrubs are also available online at www.nrdtrees.org

 

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