Riparian Projects
The highly successful Eastern Republican and Little Blue Riparian Improvement Project continues ongoing efforts to eradicate invasive species, control vegetation in stream channels, and improve riparian habitat along the Republican and Little Blue Rivers and their tributaries within eight of the Twin Valley Weed Management Area (TVWMA) counties. Control efforts are conducted in a holistic manner, utilizing a full range of mechanical, biological and chemical tools. TVWMA has undertaken this project over recent years to improve stream flow along the Republican and Little Blue Rivers to help enable Nebraska to meet its water delivery obligations to Kansas, to restore and maintain into the future a healthy river system and prevent wasteful degradation of water resources, to improve riparian habitat including replanting beneficial species, as well as including pollinators, and to increase public awareness of the best practices that can be used to properly manage riparian lands.
Learn more about the Twin Valley Weed Management Area & their many accomplishments!
Available Projects
Cedar Tree Removal Project
Location: The area included in this program is the Republican River Riparian area from the Red Willow-Furnas County line to the Nebraska-Kansas state line south of Hardy, Nebraska and also the Little Blue River Riparian area from the Franklin-Webster county line to the Thayer-Jefferson county line in Nebraska.
The area eligible must be within one-half mile of the river or within one-half mile of a perennial stream or intermittent stream which provides significant water flows and empties into the Republican or Little Blue River.
Payment will be made at 50% of an hourly rate (not to exceed $85 per hour) for contractual work. There will be a budget limitation of $2,000.00 being paid per cooperator. If work is done by an individual landowner, the work must be monitored by designated TVWMA personnel. NO matching funds from another program will be allowed. Work must be completed by March 31, 2020.
Maintenance Agreement: It will be at landowners expense/labor and discretion to control future cedar tree growth for the next 10 years.
Tree Thinning & Pruning Program
The practice consists of removal of undesirable understory species such as: cedar, Russian olive, catalpa, and mulberry. Additional trees will be considered depending on species and/or diameter of tree stock. Trees selected will be determined and agreed upon between the landowner and the TVWMA’s Project Coordinator. A minimum of 25% remaining tree canopy will be required. This minimum canopy cover will be required for 10 years from time of this agreement. All tree cutting must be within 150 foot of the perimeter of the river bank.
The cut trees will be randomly stacked by the contractor. Preference is to have the stacked trees burned when conditions are favorable. Future maintenance and proper treating or removal of tree growth will be the cooperator’s responsibility.
Payment will be made at 100% of an hourly rate (not to exceed $85 per hour) for contractual work (contractor approved by the TVWMA), with a maximum of $5,000 being paid per cooperator. If work is done by an individual landowner, the work will be monitored by a designated TVWMA personnel. NO matching funds from another program will be allowed.
The work will be performed by a contractor selected by the cooperator, subject to approval of the Project Coordinator. The scope of the work to be performed will be agreed upon by the contractor and the Project Coordinator in consultation with the cooperator.
The Project Coordinator will make a pre-inspection of the site before work is commenced and a post-inspection when it is completed. Funds will be paid to the contractor upon final approval of the work by the Project Coordinator. Funds may be withheld for payment until deficiencies discovered by the Project Coordinator are remedied. Work MUST BE COMPLETED by June 30, 2020.
Funding for this program provided by the Nebraska Department of Agriculture Riparian Vegetation Management Grant.