USDA NRCS Opportunity for Public Comment: Draft Environmental Assessment for Rawhide Creek

Sponsor: Dodge County Board of Superintendents

Project Location: Dodge County, Nebraska

Project Website: https://tinyurl.com/w37an3dj. 

In partnership with the Dodge County Board of Superintendents, USDA’S Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for comment. The project includes construction of a detention cell in combination with berm improvement and the raising of Cutoff Ditch Road to provide flood reduction benefits within the Rawhide Creek Watershed in Dodge County, Nebraska. Incidental benefits of the plan are improved water quality, reduced runoff and erosion, improved soil health, and improved or increased wildlife and aquatic habitat.

This EA analyzes the potential environmental impacts of alternative approaches to NRCS involvement through the Pub. L. 83-566 Small Watershed Program’s authorized purpose of flood prevention. The draft EA and related documents are available below for public review and comments from August 6 to Sept. 5, 2025. 

• Draft Watershed Plan (PDF: 4,859 KB)
• Appendix A – Correspondence (PDF: 5,170 KB)
• Appendix B – Project Map (PDF: 1,028 KB)
• Appendix C – Supporting Maps (PDF: 44 MB)
• Appendix D – Investigations and Analysis (PDF: 6.978 KB)
• Appendix E Part 1 – Clean Water Act/Food Security Act analysis and Wetland Delineation Report (PDF: 78.8 MB)
• Appendix E Part 2 – Geotechnical Investigation Report; CERT and IPaC reports; Cultural Resource Inventory Report (redacted) (PDF: 51.5 MB)
• Appendix F – Environmental Assessment (PDF: 619 KB)

A public meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21, 2025, from 2 pm to 4 pm at the UNL Extension office (1206 West 23rd St., Fremont, NE). Staff from NRCS and Dodge County Emergency Management will be available to discuss the project and answer questions.

You may request a copy of the EA from or send written comments to: USDA/NRCS c/o Melissa Baier; 1121 Lincoln Mall, Room 360, Lincoln, NE 68508. NRCS will consider and respond to all written comments. For more information, contact Melissa Baier, Assistant State Conservationist-Water Resources and Easements, at 402-437-4065 or Melissa.Baier@usda.gov.

All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law. Comments, information, and analyses provided should be as specific as possible and an explanation of why the information is important to the analysis should be included.

More Information

To learn more about NRCS programs, producers can contact their local USDA Service Center.  Producers can also apply for NRCS programs, manage conservation plans and contracts, and view and print conservation maps by logging into their farmers.gov account. If you don’t have an account, sign up today. 
 

USDA NRCS Opportunity for Public Comment: Elm and Turkey Creek Watershed Flood Risk Reduction Plan and Environmental Impact Statement

Sponsor: Central Platte Natural Resources District

Project Location: Buffalo and Dawson Counties, Nebraska

Project Website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5a104fadbc674bda9d8f85d9c1458582 

Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, has prepared a draft Watershed Plan-Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) titled “Watershed Plan - Environmental Impact Statement for Elm-Turkey Creeks Watershed.” in partnership with the Central Platte Natural Resources District. The EIS analyzes the potential environmental impacts of alternative approaches to NRCS involvement through the Pub. L. 83-566 Small Watershed Program’s authorized purpose of Flood Prevention. The draft EIS is available for review and comment prior to issuing a decision.

The proposed solution currently is to construct two diversion channels that will convey floodwater to the south and help prevent flood damage to the Kearney region. NRCS is requesting that the public review and provide their comments on the Plan-EIS by the end of the day on August 17, 2025.

Interested parties may view the Plan-EIS and associated files by going to https://nrcs.box.com/s/bxee57fc3kz5tma6weaffzds81e1vovz

You may also request a copy of the EIS and send written comments to:

Melissa Baier
Assistant State Conservationist-Water Resources and Easements 
USDA/NRCS 
1121 Lincoln Mall, Room 360
Lincoln, NE 68508

To receive full consideration prior to the decision, comments on the EIS must be provided at Melissa.Baier@usda.gov or received in writing at the address indicated by the end of the day on August 25, 2025.

For more information, contact Melissa Baier, Assistant State Conservationist-Water Resources and Easements, at 402-437-4065 or Melissa.Baier@usda.gov.

All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law. Comments, information, and analyses provided should be as specific as possible and an explanation of why the information is important to the analysis should be included.

USDA NRCS Opportunity for Public Comment: Draft Environmental Assessment for Battle Creek Watershed

Sponsor: Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District

Project Location: Madison County, Nebraska

Project Website: https://www.lenrd.org/about/news/status-battle-creek-flood-reduction-study 

USDA’S Natural Resources Conservation Service has prepared a draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for comment that includes construction of an earthen levee near the city of Battle Creek and a dam with reservoir in the upstream half of the watershed. The Battle Creek Watershed Plan in Madison County, Nebraska, in partnership with the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District, analyzes the potential environmental impacts of alternative approaches to NRCS involvement through the Pub. L. 83-566 Small Watershed Program’s authorized purpose of flood prevention. The draft EA and related documents are available for public review and comments from July 28 to Aug. 27, 2025. 

• Draft Watershed Plan (PDF: 6,540 KB)
• Appendix A – Correspondence (PDF: 6,886 KB)
• Appendix B – Project Map (PDF: 1,182 KB)
• Appendix C – Supporting Maps (PDF: 25.5 MB)
• Appendix D – Investigations and Analysis (PDF: 3,305 KB)
• Appendix E Part 1 – Clean Water Act/Food Security Act analysis and Geotechnical Engineering Reports (PDF: 40.2 MB)
• Appendix E Part 2 – CERT and IPaC reports; Cultural Resource Inventory Reports (redacted) (PDF: 51 MB)
• Appendix E Part 3 – F1-2 Wetland Delineation Report (part 1) (PDF: 57 MB)
• Appendix E Part 4 – F1-2 Wetland Delineation Report (part 2) (PDF: 54.7 MB)
• Appendix E Part 5 – F1-41 Wetland Delineation Report (PDF: 41.4 MB)
• Appendix E Part 6 – F1-52 Wetland Delineation Report; Levee Wetland Delineation Report (PDF: 54.4 MB)
• Appendix F – Environmental Assessment (PDF: 4,886 KB)

You may request a copy of the EA or send written comments to: USDA/NRCS c/o Melissa Baier; 1121 Lincoln Mall, Room 360, Lincoln, NE 68508. NRCS will consider and respond to all written comments. For more information, contact Melissa Baier, Assistant State Conservationist-Water Resources and Easements, at 402-437-4065 or Melissa.Baier@usda.gov. 

To receive full consideration prior to the decision, comments on the EA must be provided at Melissa.Baier@usda.gov or received in writing at the address indicated above by the end of the day on August 27, 2025.

All comments received, including the names and addresses of those people who comment, will be part of the public record and will be released for public review as required and allowed by law. Comments, information, and analyses provided should be as specific as possible and an explanation of why the information is important to the analysis should be included.