September 3 2024
(HOLDREGE, Neb.) - The Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District’s board of directors held their monthly meeting on Tuesday handling routine business while listening to reports and updates from management and staff.
Also at Tuesday’s board meeting:
- Hydraulic Project Operations manager Cory Steinke gave an update on the progress of bridge projects within the District. Nebraska Department of Transportation will begin work this week to replace the bridge located on County Road 754 south of Cozad in Dawson County. Simon Contractors of Cheyene, Wyo., is the contractor for the project. Traffic will be detoured to N-21 during bridge replacement. He added that staff are now working on putting rock on the new road that leads to the boat ramp at Phillips Lake where construction should begin this fall. In addition, planning is being finalized for the timeline of construction of the Schilling Bridge later this fall.
- Directors gave approval of a work order for two separate lining projects within the district. A budget of $412,000 was approved to line the canal just north of Axtell. A new housing district has been constructed below the canal and this lining will protect seepage issues. Also approved was $103,000 to line three under drains that are eroding out on the E65 canal near Smithfield. Irrigation and Water Services Manager Scott Dicke pointed out there is a big concern if they was out.
- The directors authorized staff to complete a 15-year concession lease with Mid Nebraska Docks and Lifts at Johnson Lake. The lease was approved for the concessionaire to provide dock and shore station service and sales to the lake communities.
- It was reported by Dicke that a proposal for a new chemical storage building was going out for bid this week. The budget of $412,000 will allow for a separate building to be constructed on District property south of the railroad tracks which is located southeast of the Holdrege administration office. This new facility will provide a safer environment to store chemicals and remove them from where they are currently housed in the maintenance shop.
- The board approved a final payment on Contract No. 0-719 (Group 23-2) in the amount of $524,930 with Nebraska Truck Center of Grand Island, Neb., for the purchase of Western Star dump trucks.
- The board awarded a bid for $170,498 to L&S Electric of Rothschild, Wis., for the purchase of new governor control equipment to be used at the Kingsley Hydroplant.
- Civil Engineer Tyler Thulin reported that Lake McConaughy’s elevation was at 3229.7 feet on Tuesday (49.9% capacity). Inflows are around 1,050 cubic feet per second (cfs) and outflows are about 1,525 cfs, which is down 500 cfs from ten days ago. He explained outflows are ramping down due to the end of irrigation season. Headgates for the Phelps Canal will be closed on Sept. 6 and irrigators will still be able to use drawdown from the canal as it is available.