PROGRAM INFORMATION

EQIP, WHIP, WRP, CREP, CONTINUOUS CRP and SAFE:  Applications for funding assistance or annual payments can be taken at your local USDA Service Center.  Timetables for ranking dates, approval dates, etc., for 2009 EQIP funding have not been set.

REMINDER:  EQIP Contract holders with irrigation practices need to submit their irrigation water management records to their local NRCS office.

NSWCP: Applications for cost-share assistance can be taken any time at your local NRCS office.  Applications for irrigation practices will be reviewed for approval at the NRD's December, February and May board meetings.  Flow meters cost-shared through NSWCP are required to read in acre-inches and cannot have a resettable totalizer.

NEBRASKA BUFFER STRIP PROGRAM:  Signup is Sept. 15 through Nov. 14, 2008.  For more information, go to the Nebraska Department of Agriculture web site.  Applications can be taken at your local NRCS office or NRD office.

CALENDAR OF EVENTS

Oct. 13:  Columbus Day.  Government offices closed.
Oct. 14: Tri-Basin NRD board meeting, 7:30 p.m.
Nov. 3: CNPPID board meeting, 9 a.m.

Year-End Useful Information and Tools!

No-till on the Plains is an excellent website for no-till information and upcoming events.

No-Till@unl.edu is a free e-mail list to share information about no-till with other no-tillers, university staff, etc.  For sign-up information, contact Curtis Scheele at 308-995-6121, ext. 3, or by e-mail at curtis.scheele@ne.usda.gov.

Holdrege No-Till Conference and the Holdrege Water Conference will take place again this January and February.  Dates will be announced this fall.

Central Plains Irrigation Conference is an excellent conference to attend, usually in February.  It rotates each year between Colby, Kan., Kearney, and Sterling, Colo.  When the information is posted, you can find it at http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/sdi/events/sdievent.htm.

UNL Water website has lots of good information.  If you don't have access to the internet, dial 1-800-755-7765.

Kansas State Mobile Irrigation Lab website has lots of good irrigation information and useful tools.

Energy Estimator tools can be used to estimate irrigation, nitrogen, and tillage energy costs.

ACROSS THE TRI-BASIN NRD

Final Tri-Basin Irrigator for 2008

The fourth year of the Tri-Basin Irrigator has come to a close.  I hope that you received helpful information during this past irrigation season.  It sure has been an interesting season.  We started the crop season with a full soil moisture profile.  There were good, timely rains in areas throughout the season.  This was a year for good soil moisture monitoring and irrigation scheduling, as it possibly may have saved you an irrigation or two, which means more money in your pocket.  Since this is the final issue of 2008, I need to mention a couple of things.

First, the Nebraska Soil and Water Conservation Program (NSWCP) has approved a new irrigation practice.  Eligible items for cost-share are soil moisture sensors, data readers, and soil moisture probes.  Sign-up will be with your local NRCS office.  This is general information, but I wanted to get this in my newsletter for your awareness.  More details will be forthcoming.

Second, I need to remind all the EQIP contract holders with irrigation practices that you need to submit your irrigation water management records to your local NRCS office.  These reports are different than the crop water use reports you submit to the NRD.  The EQIP reports require more information than just beginning and ending flow meter readings.  If you have a crop consultant who kept track of your soil moisture levels, copies of their reports will suffice.  If you have any questions, contact your local NRCS office.

Again, I hope you enjoyed another year of the Tri-Basin Irrigator.  If you wish to provide feedback, comments, or suggestions for next year, contact Curtis Scheele at 308-995-6121, ext. 3, or by e-mail at curtis.scheele@ne.usda.gov.

Stage of Growth:

Corn (full dent (90-95% milk line) to harvest stage).

Soybeans (full seed (R6) to harvesting stage):  There are some short soybeans turning yellow in wheat-harvested fields.  Leaves turning yellow occurs shortly after R6.

Irrigation:

Harvest was moving right along until the recent rains.  Some places got from 1-1/2 inches up to near 5 or 6 inches.  Producers are now slowly getting back to harvest.

Lake McConaughy is at 35.2% capacity versus 27.3% a year ago. Inflows to Lake McConaughy are 709 cfs compared with 586 cfs a year ago.  Flows in the South Platte River at North Platte are 121 cfs compared with 130 a year ago.  You can track these flows on Central's web site.

Rainfall:
The following rainfall amounts (inches) come from NeRAIN which can be found at NeRAIN.

Nebraska Water Management Demonstration Network (NAWMDN) Crop ET Information
Additional atmometer sites and Weather Station Data can be found on CNPPID's website

Inches of Crop Water Use (ET) = Evaporation x Kc

Crop Coefficients (Kc)

Additional ET Information Sites:

Nebraska Water Management Demonstration Network (NAWMDN) Sites
KRVN radio broadcasts
KRVN.com
Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District
Water Use Hotline: 1-800-993-2507

Check out these web sites:

"Why do people believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?" - Anonymous

If you would like to receive this newsletter via e-mail, or have any questions, comments or ideas, feel free to contact Curtis Scheele at the NRCS office in Holdrege or your local NRCS office at the addresses or phone numbers listed below.

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