(HOLDREGE, Neb.) - The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors held their first monthly meeting of 2026 on Monday handling routine business while listening to reports and updates from management and staff.
At Monday’s board meeting:
• Directors approved a resolution to recognize former General Manager Don Kraus who was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Water Resources Association in November 2025. Kraus was honored for his career of exceptional leadership and service in advancing water resources stewardship and policy at the state and national levels.
• The directors approved purchase requisitions in the amounts of $106,056 and $54,028 to Van Diest for the purchase of chemicals and proactive aquatic weed control for the 2026 irrigation season.
• The board approved the purchase of a spare dredge pump for $98,158 from VMI Inc. This pump will be used as a backup to use with the new dredge that was put into operation at the Supply Canal Diversion Dam this past spring.
• Civil Engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3228.39 feet on Monday (49% capacity) which is up one foot since the December 19th working meeting. Inflows are around 1,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) and outflows are about 325 cfs.
• Thulin told the board that snowpack is off to a rough start and it appears a tough water year could be in store for the coming irrigation season if conditions don’t improve. Snowpack in the upper North Platte basin is currently at 80% of median average, the lower North Platte is at 39% of median and the South Platte Basin is at 61%.