Cover Crops
Within selected areas of the district, LPSNRD will cost-share with landowners to establish cover crops.  Cover crops have many beneficial effects on the soil.  Cross-hatched areas on the map linked below indicate eligible areas.

Cover Crops Brochure

Cover Crops Program, Map, & Application

Cover Crops Study Article

Farm Pond
LPSNRD helps landowners design and construct dams for watering livestock and wildlife, flood storage, grade stabilization, and recreation.​

To be eligible for cost-sharing, at least 75% of the area drained by the proposed dam must be in terraces or permanent vegetation. The site must also drain between 30 and 320 acres.  Sites draining less than 30 acres may be suitable for a water and sediment control basin. Dam development on sites draining more than 320 acres tends to be cost-prohibitive for this program.​

To get started, meet with a Natural Resources Conservation Service technician who can help you determine eligibility.  If you are eligible, they will estimate the cost of the project. Use the information compiled by the technician to complete the application and submit to LPSNRD.

Farm Pond Brochure & Application

Citizenship Attestation Form

IRS Form W9

Buffer Strips
The Nebraska Buffer Strip Program encourages landowners to enroll cropland adjacent to perennial and seasonal streams, ponds, and wetlands in buffer strips, which are designed to filter agrichemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides. Two kinds of buffer strips are eligible - filter strips, which are narrow strips of grass; and riparian forest buffer strips containing trees and grass. The minimum widths are 20 and 55 feet, respectively; the maximum widths are 120 and 180 feet, respectively.

The program is designed to be used in conjunction with the USDA Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP), or other programs, however it can be used by itself, as well. In addition to offering rental rates for both irrigated and non-irrigated cropland, and incentives for partnering with other government programs, there are incidental haying and grazing allowances in the Nebraska Buffer Strip Program.

Rental rates are calculated as follows:

• For irrigated cropland where CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs are also used, rental rates are $250 per acre minus payments from the other programs.
   
• For irrigated cropland where CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs are not used, the rental rate is $225 per acre minus any other program payments.
   
• For non-irrigated cropland enrolled in CRP, CREP or other governmentally-funded programs, the rental rate is equal to 20% of the average CRP soil rental rate.
   
• For non-irrigated cropland without CRP, CREP, or other governmentally-funded programs, the rental rate per acre is equal to 120% of the average CRP soil rental rate plus $5 per acre, minus the payment rate from any other programs.
   
• In no case may payments from all programs exceed $250 per acre.

Interested landowners should contact their local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service office to begin the application process.  For more information check out the Nebraska Buffer Strip page at https://nda.nebraska.gov/pesticide/buffer_strip

Flood Control Structure
LPSNRD helps landowners build dams and ponds on small drainages (usually under 200 acres) that provide grade stabilization, wildlife, water quality, and recreation benefits. Landowners wishing to create a dam or pond with a more extensive drainage area (over 200 acres) often find out that it is too costly.​

Under the Flood Control Structure cost-share program, the district pays for the preliminary engineering study, and the landowner provides a $500 deposit. If the site appears acceptable, LPSNRD completes the engineering study. The landowner and LPSNRD would then decide whether to construct the dam.​ Prior to construction, the landowner would grant the district an easement to construct, operate, and maintain the dam, and LPSNRD would acquire any additional land rights. LPSNRD would then pay for the construction of the dam.

Contact LPSNRD for an initial evaluation of your proposed Flood Control Structure dam site. You can then consider applying for the program, based on the results.

Summer Conservation
Many conservation projects take place in the fall, just after harvest and before winter shutdown. While most landowners prefer doing work at this time, there are never enough contractors to meet the demand for projects and complete them before winter starts. To ease the fall demand, LPSNRD offers additional incentives to encourage more cropland conservation projects in the summer.

Terrace systems and water and sediment control basins on cropland are eligible if certified by the Natural Resources Conservation Service. These practices are designed to control the loss of topsoil and prevent small gullies that contribute to the siltation of streams and lakes. The Summer Conservation Program cost-sharing rate is an additional 15 percent, not to exceed 85 percent. The maximum cost-sharing amount for non-targeted areas increases from $15,000 to $20,000.  The maximum for targeted area approvals is increased to $25,000.

Projects completed between May 1 and September 15 are eligible for this increased cost-sharing rate.

Contact your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Office to determine what soil and water conservation practices are needed and the most current information concerning this cost-share program in your county. Your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Office will assist you with completing your application in Butler, Cass, Lancaster, Otoe, Saunders, and Seward counties.

Terraces, Grassed Waterways, Diversions, & Basins
The Lower Platte South NRD will assist landowners with the planning, design, and cost of installing soil and water conservation practices on their property. These practices will reduce the loss of topsoil and control small gullies that contribute to the siltation of Nebraska streams and lakes.  Eligible practices include terrace systems, grassed waterways, diversions, and water and sediment control basins built on cropland and certified by NRCS. Assistance may also be available for the seeding of grass on cropland.​

In addition to assisting the landowner with the planning and design of the practices, LPSNRD reimburses the landowner for a portion of the installation cost. The District will pay a cost-share unit percentage that is typically 60% of the average LPSNRD cost or 75% of the actual cost, whichever is less. The maximum cost-sharing amount for untargeted areas is $15,000.  In an identified targeted area, the average unit cost-share is increased to 75% and the maximum cost-share amount is $20,000.

Contact your local USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service Office to determine what soil and water conservation practices you may need and the most current information concerning those cost-share programs in your county.​ Applications are taken throughout the year, but fall NRD cost-share applications are due July 1st to assure consideration for the program under the approved operating budget. The construction completion deadline for fall approvals is February 1st.

Regenerative Agriculture
Regenerative agriculture is about restoring life in the soil and relies on a holistic, ecological approach to farming and ranching. Rather than depleting nutrients and relying heavily on synthetic fertilizers, this approach works with nature to restore and enhance soil health. Techniques like crop rotation, cover cropping, composting, and rotational grazing help build organic matter and improve biodiversity. Over time, these methods improve the soil's structure, making it more porous, nutrient-rich, and capable of holding water.

To learn more about regenerative agriculture, please visit https://www.morningagclips.com/moving-toward-regenerative-agriculture-healing-the-land-through-smarter-farming/