Organization

The Department of Natural Resources is organized into six functional divisions as shown on the accompanying organization chart. These include: Administration which includes Legal; Field Offices; Permits & Adjudications; Planning and Assistance; Research and Technical Studies; Floodplain, Dam Safety & Survey; and Management Services. Staff located in five field offices (Bridgeport, Cambridge, Lincoln, Norfolk and Ord) perform water rights administration, stream gaging and dam inspections. In addition, the agency provides staff and administrative support for the sixteen member Natural Resources Commission which is responsible for managing six water and soil conservation practice implementation aid programs that are included in the Department's budget request.

Agency responsibilities require that staff work closely with various natural resources-related entities across the state. Much of this work is with local units of government, primarily natural resource districts, irrigation districts, and power districts. Other efforts include cooperative efforts with federal agencies including the Bureau of Reclamation, Farm Service Administration, and Federal Emergency Management Administration, U.S Army Corps of Engineers, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on programs that affect and benefit Nebraska.

Click here for a DNR Organizational Chart

Request Priorities

The Department of Natural Resources staff and other resources have been challenged to meet expectations stemming from recent legislation, weather events, interstate water compacts and decrees administration, and a higher volume of requests for water administration. These demands have been addressed through realigning technical staff to address higher priority obligations and accomplishments in further streamlining of business processes. Continued funding at the present level for Program 334 - the Department's operating program - is needed to meet demands for additional technical and scientific data and analyses and other Department actions.

Further, due to the nature of some programs and subprograms (explained in more detail in the Program Narrative sections), it is important that any remaining funding be reappropriated. Reappropriation is requested for the following:

Programs 303, 304, 306, 307, 309 and 311

Programs administered by the agency under the direction of the Natural Resources Commission provide aid to natural resources districts or landowners in support of water and soil conservation actions. These programs are important to the conservation and management of the State’s natural resources. For this reason, continued funding at present levels is requested. Further, because the conservation actions often span fiscal years, funding has been obligated to help assure successful completion. Therefore, reappropriation of any funds remaining in these programs at the end of Fiscal Year 2009 is requested.

Program 334, Subprograms 19 and 21

These subprograms were created in the 2007-2009 biennial budgeting process to consolidate Program 310 (State Water Planning Process) and Program 331 (Nebraska Water Rights) into Program 334, the Department’s operating program. Funding to the original programs was directed toward performing and/or contracting for critical research and planning related to the Nebraska Groundwater Management and Protection Act and to interstate compacts and decrees. These studies and planning efforts have extended for several years, and some will likely continue into the 2009-2011 biennium period. In particular, funding for the State's cooperation agreement with the Federal Natural Resources Conservation Service in the Platte River Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program may extend past the 2009-2010 biennium. As a result, some of the prior funding, while committed to specific purposes, may not be completely expended by the end of the 2007-2009 biennium. Reappropriation of any remaining funds appropriated for the work in this subprogram will be consistent with treatment in prior years, and is important to enable the continuation of this important work.

Executive Summary

We understand that Nebraska citizens expect state government to operate in a cost-efficient and economical manner. This is the basis on which the Department of Natural Resources has prepared its Biennium Budget Request for 2009 - 2011.

Our request anticipates that the Department's operations and aid programs can be managed such that our funding needs remain flat over the 2009 - 2011 period. In light of the implications of recently passed legislation, recent weather events, and increased requests for water rights administration, Department management recognizes that our limited staff resources are not sufficient to perform all present activities and also meet new and increasing requirements. Examples of the increased demands that have created these needs are noted below.

• The Ground Water Management and Protection Act requires the Department to make annual determinations on whether a basin, subbasin or reach is fully appropriated. Ground and surface water modeling information is essential to the department’s ability to make such determinations. For those areas declared fully appropriated or over-appropriated, the Department and the local natural resources district(s) must develop integrated management plans. These planning efforts and the subsequent action implementation tasks also rely on information from modeling to answer questions regarding current or future actions that will assist in water resource management. Department modelers and analysts direct their efforts to the essential data collection and other tasks necessary to meet information needs for river basins most likely to be designated as fully- or over-appropriated.
• By statute, integrated management plans must be completed, adopted, and take effect within three years after fully or over-appropriated designation. Extensions of up to two years may be granted by joint agreement between the Department and the affected natural resources district(s), but such action is not desirable as delays exacerbate and may increase stream flow depletion problems. To assure that plans meet statutory requirements and are completed in the prescribed timeframes, Department staff must participate with local natural resources districts on technical research and plan development, and then monitor implementation actions to validate that goals stated in the plan are being achieved. To assure the State's highest priority needs are met, Department staff are assigned to assist with all integrated plans but to concentrate on basins with the greatest probable impact.
• With the recent drought, we have received requests to perform water rights administration in almost every basin with the exception of the Missouri River Tributary Basin. Also, requests for the Department to conduct field investigations for purposes of adjudicating surface water rights have been more numerous than previously encountered.