USDA NRCS Opportunity for Public Comment: Draft Watershed Plan for Spring Creek Watershed Project

Sponsor: Central Platte Natural Resources District

Project Location: Custer and Dawson Counties, Nebraska

Project Website: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/156c1ab8ad0344108a13560a17f2cef7 

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is soliciting comments on a draft Watershed Plan. The draft Watershed Plan for the Spring Creek Watershed Improvement Project in Custer and Dawson Counties, Nebraska, was developed in partnership with the Central Platte Natural Resources District. The plan analyzes measures for flood prevention (flood damage reduction) through the Pub. L. 83-566 Small Watershed Program. The preferred alternative in the plan includes constructing small earthen flood control berms and new drainage conveyance ditches and diversions, as well as improving existing drainage channel conveyance in Cozad and Lexington, Nebraska. The draft Watershed Plan and related documents are available below for review and comments until December 22, 2025.

• Draft Watershed Plan (PDF: 22.3 MB)
• Appendix A – Correspondence (PDF: 15.4 MB)
• Appendix B – Project Map (PDF: 53 KB)
• Appendix C-1 – Supporting Maps (PDF: 48.3 MB)
• Appendix C-2 – Supporting Maps (PDF: 24.3 MB)
• Appendix D – Investigations and Analysis (PDF: 21.2 MB)
• Appendix E1 Report 1 (PDF: 29.8 MB)
• Appendix E1 Report 2 (PDF: 37.3 MB)
• Appendix E1 Report 3 (PDF: 35.1 MB)
• Appendix E3 – Other Supporting Documentation (PDF: 20.4 MB)
• Appendix F – Environmental Assessment (PDF: 1,572 KB)

To receive full consideration prior to the decision, NRCS is requesting that agencies review and provide their comments on the Watershed Plan by the end of the day on Monday, December 22, 2025.  Please send comments to Melissa.Baier@usda.gov or the address below:

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

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 Watershed Plan for the Box Butte Watershed Project

Sponsor: Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District

Project Location: Box Butte, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties, Nebraska

Project Website: https://unwnrd.org/watershed-and-flood-prevention-plan/.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), a program within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is soliciting comments on a draft Watershed Plan. The draft Watershed Plan for the Box Butte Creek Watershed Project in Box Butte, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties, Nebraska, was developed in partnership with the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District.  The plan analyzes measures for agriculture water management and flood prevention (flood damage reduction) through the Pub. L. 83-566 Small Watershed Program. The preferred alternative in the plan includes road improvements at three locations to reduce flood damages to private and public infrastructure, and construction of three off-channel diversion structures to promote water ponding, infiltration, and ground water recharge. The draft Watershed Plan and related documents are available below for review and comments until December 22, 2025.

• Draft Watershed Plan (PDF; 30.5 MB)
• Appendix A – Correspondence (PDF; 9,173 KB)
• Appendix B – Project Map (PDF; 2,219 KB)
• Appendix C Part 1 – Supporting Maps (PDF; 49 MB)
• Appendix C Part 2 – Supporting Maps (PDF; 71 MB)
• Appendix D – Investigations and Analysis (PDF; 61.6 MB)
• Appendix E1 – Wetland Delineation Report (PDF; 10 MB)
• Appendix E2 – Cultural Resource Survey Reports (PDF; 31.4 MB)
• Appendix E3 – 1PaC Chapter and CERT (PDF; 1,696 KB)
• Appendix F – Environmental Assessment (PDF; 1,128 KB)

To receive full consideration prior to the decision, NRCS is requesting that agencies review and provide their comments on the Watershed Plan by the end of the day on Monday, December 22, 2025.  Please send comments to Melissa.Baier@usda.gov or the address below:

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

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.