Helping You Conserve Natural Resources For 35 Years...

Upper Republican Natural Resources District

Governance

Authorizing Legislation

The Upper Republican Natural Resources District is one of twenty-three natural resources districts created in 1972.  The Nebraska Legislature enacted legislative bill 1357 in 1969 to combine 154 special purpose agencies entities into twenty-three natural resource districts.  In 1972 the NRDS were created.  The boundaries of the NRDs are formed from the natural boundaries of the river watersheds of Nebraska.  

Authority and Responsibilities

The purposes of Natural Resources Districts shall be to develop and execute, through the exercise of powers and authorities contained in this act, plans, facilities, works and programs relating to:  (1) erosion prevention and control; (2) prevention of damages from flood water and sediment: (3) flood prevention and control; (4) conservation; (5) water supply for

any beneficial use; (6) development, management, utilization, and conservation of groundwater and surface water; (7) pollution control; (8) solid water disposal and sanitary drainage; (9) drainage improvement and channel rectification; (10) development and management of fish and wildlife habitat; (11) development and management of recreational and park facilities; (12) forestry and range management.

Description of the District

The Upper Republican Natural Resources District is located in the Upper Republican River Basin in southwestern Nebraska and includes 1,728,070 acres of land.  The District includes all of Chase, Dundy and Perkins Counties.  There are twelve communities and villages in the District.  The Frenchman Creek, Spring Creek, Stinking Water Creek, Rock Creek, and Sand Creek are some of

the streams trickling through the District.

The population of the District is approximately 8,900 in the three counties.  The Upper Republican NRD is financed by a tax levy which may be up to $0.0850 per $100 valuation.   The FY 2007 tax levy is $0.0850 cents per $100 valuation.

Goals

The following goals and objectives have been adopted by the URNRD and NDNR in the Integrated Management Plan.

To assist the State of Nebraska, in cooperation with the other Districts, in maintaining compliance with the Compact as adopted in 1943 and as implemented in accordance with the Settlement Agreement approved by the United States Supreme Court on May 19, 2003.

To ensure that ground water and surface water users within the URNRD assume their share, but only their share of the responsibility to maintain compliance with the Compact.

To provide that the URNRD’s share of that responsibility be distributed within the URNRD in an equitable manner and to minimize, to the extent possible, adverse economic, social and environmental consequences.

Objectives

The URNRD Board of Directors will initiate and execute plans and programs as appropriate under the powers and authorities granted by the legislature and according to the priority needs of the District as related to:

· Ground water management, utilization and conservation

· Soil erosion prevention and control

· Range management

· Wildlife habitat and recreation

· Pollution control

· Prevention of damages from floodwater and sediment