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Nebraska Watersheds News and Views       Fall 2005 Issue 6

Hello, and welcome to the quarterly electronic Nebraska Watersheds News and Views newsletter. I hope this issue and the ones to follow will provide useful information that will increase both your knowledge and interest of water resource issues. The purpose of the electronic newsletter is to provide information on watershed topics and issues, share ideas, programs and publicize events to watershed council members, watershed project coordinators, Extension educators and specialists, agency personnel, watershed management professionals and natural resources professionals. The newsletter is intended for educational purposes only. Newsletter information may be reprinted or reproduced. If you intend to use this material, please acknowledge the authors and the source of information. Interested persons are invited to contribute articles, news items, photographs or other materials for publication. Please, feel free to ask questions, share ideas, or provide feedback.

Steve Tonn-University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Educator in Douglas/Sarpy Counties/Omaha Lakes Extension Coordinator

In This Issue

• Onsite Wastewater Certification Training
• Decommissioning Out of Service Wells
• Be a Good Neighbor
• Nebraska Water Fun Facts
• Watershed Solutions in Stakeholders’ Hands
• Waves Activities Views Events Successes

Onsite Wastewater Certification Training
Sharon Skipton, Extension Educator – Water Quality

A new Nebraska law allows only certified professionals or Nebraska-licensed Professional Engineers or Registered Environmental Health Specialists to work on onsite wastewater treatment systems (septic systems and individual lagoons). To become certified, individuals must submit an application to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and must pass an NDEQ certification exam. This process must be completed before January 1, 2006 for an individual to continue to work in the industry. Certification is available for the following categories: *

• Installer (includes alteration, construction, reconstruction, modification, or repair work)
• Site Evaluator (includes percolation testing)
• Pumper (includes pumping tanks and disposing of septage)
• Inspector (includes verification that systems are in compliance with NDEQ Title 124)

University of Nebraska - Lincoln Extension is in the process of offering Certification Training to help individuals prepare for their exams. Training has been offered in Scotts Bluff, North Platte, Grand Island, Norfolk, and near Mead. Additional Installer Certification Training classes are scheduled in Lincoln on December 6 and in Kearney on December 8. Registration for the classes is due one week before the training date. No walk-ins will be accepted. For more information, call Connie at 402-472-3674.

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Protect Water Quality by Decommissioning Out-of-Service Wells
Dave Shelton, Extension Agricultural Engineer

When a Navy ship is beyond its useful life, it is taken out of service or decommissioned. Likewise, old, unused water wells need to be properly decommissioned to help prevent groundwater contamination. The good news is that funds are generally available to help with decommissioning costs.

Groundwater is one of Nebraska=s most valuable natural resources. Unused wells, especially those that are old and/or in disrepair, or that do not meet current standards as an inactive well, pose a major threat to groundwater quality and represent a serious threat to human health and safety because of their direct connection to the underlying aquifer. State law refers to these as Aillegal@ wells.

These wells can allow surface runoff to flow directly down to the water-bearing zones, often carrying organic wastes, fertilizers, and other chemical residues such as pesticides and petroleum products into the groundwater. Small animals can fall into these wells, further adding to the contamination. Once groundwater is contaminated, it is difficult, if not impossible, to clean up, and the process is always expensive. In addition, open wells are especially hazardous to children - a risk to human life that can and should be prevented.

There are hundreds if not thousands of illegal wells in the state. In the early development of communities, most households and businesses had an individual water-supply well. Most of these wells have since been replaced by community water-supply systems, and, in many cases, likely were not properly decommissioned. Similarly, there are numerous out-of-service wells on abandoned farmsteads and in other rural areas throughout every watershed.

Nebraska regulations require that illegal wells be decommissioned following the requirements of Nebraska Health and Human Services System Title 178, Water Well Standards and Contractor's Licensing Act, Chapter 12, "Regulations Governing Water Well Construction, Pump Installation and Water Well Decommissioning Standards".

The decommissioning process includes removal of well equipment (pump, piping, etc), disinfection, filling and sealing, capping, and reporting. The accompanying diagram provided by the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources illustrates the various aspects of proper decommissioning. The cost of decommissioning a well will depend on several factors including accessibility, construction technique and materials, diameter, depth, and condition.

Fortunately, nearly every Natural Resources District (NRD) offers an attractive cost-share incentive to assist well owners in making certain that our groundwater is protected by properly decommissioning illegal wells. Payment rates vary by NRD, but typically these programs will pay for 60 to 75% of the costs. To apply for well decommissioning cost-share assistance, well owners must first contact the appropriate NRD for an information and application packet that gives program guidelines, forms, and instructions. No cost-share payments can be made unless all procedures are followed.

If there is an unused well on your property, or if you know of any within your watershed, contact the NRD office today to begin the decommissioning process and to do your part in protecting groundwater quality and human health and safety.

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Be A Good Neighbor
Steve Tonn, Extension Educator-Omaha Metro Area Lakes

Individuals who do not live next to a stream may find it difficult to understand how their actions can impact water quality. No matter how distant you are from a waterway, through creeks, rivers, and underground springs we are all connected because We All Live Downstream. When you get involved in protecting local water quality you can take pride in knowing your efforts will extend beyond the boundaries of your backyard or farm and help improve the quality of life in watersheds located further downstream. Nonpoint source pollution is a collective problem - directly or indirectly it is the result of many individual actions. How can you be a Good Neighbor and help to control nonpoint source pollution?

What Farmers Can Do

• Team up with your local University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Office. Learn how you can get the maximum value out of animal manure. A nutrient management plan may help you save money and at the some time, protect water quality.
• Explore using Integrated Pest Management, a program designed to help reduce pesticide pollution. Contact your local University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Office.
• Incorporate "Best Management Practices" into your forming operation. They can help optimize your harvest and reduce soil erosion. You may be eligible to receive cost-share assistance for implementing these approved practices. Contact your Conservation District for more information.

What Developers and Industry Can Do

• Control runoff from construction sites. Familiarize yourself with Nebraska’s erosion and sediment control regulations and seek assistance from your county conservation district office. Minimize disturbances to trees and vegetation. Follow storm water management guidelines when designing and installing drainage systems.
• Practice good industrial housekeeping. Control toxics from industrial sites by developing and following a pollution prevention plan. Make sure you have the right permits for oil operations, including manufacture, storage, disposal, and cleanup. Contact the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality for more information and assistance.

What Everyone Can Do

• Plant trees, shrubs, and groundcovers to prevent soil erosion on your property. Report sediment and erosion control problems to your county conservation district.
• Help reduce runoff by using building materials such as brick, flagstone or wood for walkways and patios. Divert runoff from your roof to a well-vegetated area rather than the pavement.
• Call your local University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Office for help with soil testing to determine the right amount and type of fertilizer to use on your farm, lawn or garden.
• Dispose of used motor oil, antifreeze, points, and other hazardous materials properly. Never dump substances down a storm drain, onto the soil, or into a waterway.
• Reduce emissions by using public transportation or car pooling. Save energy by turning off lights, lowering thermostats, and insulating hot water pipes in your home.
• Support your local government's role in controlling nonpoint source pollution. Attend planning meetings and hearings, promote activities such as city tree plantings, or help establish a community environmental advisory council.
• Encourage your school board to promote educational pollution prevention programs.
• Join a watershed council or citizens’ stream cleanup or water quality monitoring effort.

Adapted from Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Source

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Nebraska Water Fun Facts

About 65 percent of the High Plains Aquifer (also called the Ogallala Aquifer) lies beneath Nebraska and is estimated to contain about two billion acre-feet of water (an acre-foot being enough water to cover one acre of land with a foot of water, or about 326,000 gallons of water). This is equal to about 25 years of the state’s average annual stream-flow or about 700 times the average amount of water in its surface water reservoirs.

Nebraska has nearly 2,000 natural lakes in the Sandhills.

Nebraska has more than 5,000 wetlands, including many saline sites, and over 1,000 reservoirs and sandpit lakes.

Nebraska ranks10th nationally in the number of stream miles, including its major river systems, and ranks16th nationally in total wetland acres.

Source: University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Water Center

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Watershed Solutions in Stakeholders’ Hands
Steve Tonn, Extension Educator-Omaha Metro Area Lakes

The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension is undertaking a process to help Extension professionals learn coaching skills for leaders. The program is designed to help them develop effective interpersonal communication skills and to increase their capacity to lead.

Some of the key components of the Coaching Program can apply directly to watersheds and watershed councils. One idea is to define a leadership culture. Leadership culture is a set of skills, knowledge, practices, beliefs and language that engages each member of an organization to take responsibility for themselves and the success of the business or organization. Applying this to a watershed or watershed council means that every watershed stakeholder or watershed council member has to take responsibility for them self and for the entire watershed. Leadership is everyone’s responsibility in protecting the watershed.

The coaching program assumes that people are creative and resourceful and that they have the answers. This principle also applies to watersheds. The solutions to watershed problems lie with the watershed stakeholders not with outside agencies or specialists. Watershed stakeholders hold the keys to the solutions in their watersheds. They are most familiar with the problems and are best equipped to determine the best solutions. They may just need help with developing their own solutions.

The coaching program uses powerful questions to help people develop their own solutions. For watershed stakeholders this means asking: What is currently happening in the watershed? What is important about the watershed? What’s your desired outcome for the watershed? What’s possible in the watershed? What do you want the watershed to look like in 5 or 10 years? Who or what can support you in achieving the desired outcome for the watershed? What are you willing to do as a watershed stakeholder or watershed council member? By when will you take action? How will you know when the action is complete?

Citizen involvement in watershed management planning encourages more diverse ideas in the development of solutions, helps to avoid controversy during implementation, gives legitimacy to the project and increases the likelihood of a successful project. For help in getting watershed stakeholders involved in developing solutions for your watershed, contact Steve Tonn at 402-444-4237 or email stonn2@unl.edu

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Watershed Activities Views Events Successes

Cunningham Lake Watershed Information and Education Program Initiated
Steve Tonn, Extension Educator-Omaha Metro Lakes

As a part of the Cunningham Lake Watershed Management Plan, an information and education program targeting acreage owners and farmers has been initiated. The University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension in Douglas/Sarpy Counties is responsible for conducting the program. The program began with a mailing to all rural residents in the watershed informing them about the program and their role in preventing runoff pollution from leaving their property and entering watershed creeks and ultimately Cunningham Lake. An educational packet entitled Living in the Cunningham Lake Watershed – An Acreage Owner’s Guide for Preventing Runoff Pollution was developed and distributed upon request to acreage owners. The Guide contains information for acreage owners on watersheds, lawn and landscaping best management practices, stormwater management, on-site wastewater treatment, and horse manure management best management practices. Farm operators were given information about the Farm A Syst program and encouraged to use the voluntary risk management assessment program on their farm. A Farm A Syst packet has been tailored for producers in the watershed. Rural residents were provided a special invitation to attend a Septic Systems Clinic conducted by University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension Educators. Additional educational efforts will be made through media sources.

Greater Omaha Lakes Watershed Group Formed
Steve Tonn, Extension Educator, Omaha Metro Lakes

Representatives from five lake watersheds in the Omaha metropolitan area have joined together to form a group to become more proactive on issues affecting the metro lakes watersheds. The group is working to build relationships with agencies, departments, developers, contractors, builders and other watershed stakeholders. The purpose of the group is to play a more active role in working with agencies and issues impacting the watersheds. The group has met with the director of the Omaha Planning Department and future meetings are planned with other agencies and stakeholders.

Feb. 8, 2006 Urban Erosion and Sediment Control Seminar, Omaha

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===================================================================== Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture.

University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the non-discrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.