Lincoln Water System:
Planning for the Future
by Steve Owen, Lincoln Water System General Manager
Wachiska Program and General Meeting — Thursday, October 10, 7:00 p.m.,
Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, and also via YouTube link: https://youtube.com/live/yCOjZnmhvRs?feature=share
The Lincoln Water System was established in 1876 as a municipal water system that has provided water supply to the City of Lincoln for 148 years. As Lincoln has grown to its present-day population of nearly 300,000, so has the need for additional water supply. In fact, 100 years ago, with the local water supply running low and having questionable quality, Lincoln’s leaders made a strategic decision to develop an additional water source near Ashland, along the Platte River. The Platte River wellfields continue to be Lincoln’s current source of water supply. Now, 100 years later, Lincoln’s leaders are again embarking on another strategic step, aka Water 2.0, to fully develop the Platte River source as well as secure a second water source near the Missouri River. From the history of the Lincoln Water System, through future planning efforts, this talk will provide the audience with an understanding of the complexities involved in operating a public water supply and providing safe and reliable water to a large community like Lincoln.
Steve Owen was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where both his grandfather and great-grandfather made their careers at the Council Bluffs Waterworks. Steve earned a B.S. in civil engineering from UNL. He is a licensed civil engineer and Grade I water operator. Steve has worked in various management capacities in Lincoln’s public utilities divisions during his nearly 40-year career, and he currently serves as the Lincoln Water System Division Manager. He enjoys the outdoors spending time fishing, hunting, and motorcycling.
Join Wachiska Audubon on Thursday, October 10, at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, to learn more about Lincoln’s water future. This free, public, in-person presentation will also be live-streamed on YouTube at
https://youtube.com/live/yCOjZnmhvRs?feature=share
No registration is needed. This presentation can also be viewed at a later time. Check Wachiska’s website for links to past programs.
Wachiska Being Offered Prairie Pines
by Mark Brohman
Wachiska has been presented with a tremendous opportunity. The University of Nebraska Foundation (Foundation) is offering Prairie Pines to Wachiska. This 145-acre site at 112th and Adams streets, just two miles outside northeast Lincoln, was owned by Professor Walter and Virginia Bagley. They were charter members of Wachiska and co-founded the chapter in 1973. The Bagleys offered Prairie Pines to Wachiska before gifting it to the Foundation in 1992, but at that time it was more than the chapter thought they could handle. The Bagleys included a provision in the gift that if the Foundation ever decided to divest themselves of the site, they must offer it to Wachiska at no cost.
Walt’s wish was that Prairie Pines be “protected forever as a place that would provide a pleasant habitat for all beings—plant and animal.” The Bagleys placed a conservation easement on the property in 1982 with the Lower Platte South Natural Resources District, to protect the site from being developed. This was the first conservation easement established in Nebraska. Walt worked with Senator Jerome Warner to get the easement law established in Nebraska. Prairie Pines was also the first home to what is known today as Raptor Conservation Alliance.
Prairie Pines Partners (PPP) is a nonprofit established in 2009 to facilitate the Bagley’s vision and develop Prairie Pines as a site of natural resource conservation for education, research, and recreation for all. As the landowner, Wachiska would partner with PPP, giving both organizations more opportunities to engage in nature with schools and the public.
Prairie Pines contains a 10-acre native prairie, a 15-acre and 5-acre high diversity reestablished prairies, several shelter belts of trees, an arboretum, tree research plots, wetlands, trails, two houses, a barn, and two sheds. In addition, Community Crops has about five acres they cultivate with immigrant families. One of the houses is currently used for offices and a nature center.
On Sunday, October 6, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Wachiska will hold an open house at Prairie Pines. This will be an opportunity for members, friends, and the public to walk around the property, ask questions, and provide input to the Wachiska Board of Directors as it moves toward a decision whether to accept the property.
Wachiska’s mission is “to bring people together to preserve and restore tallgrass prairies and other natural ecosystems, promote birding, support native wildlife, provide nature education, and advocate for the sustainability of our natural community.” This site could provide a tangible identification for Wachiska to local residents with an office and connected nature center. A site like this could allow us to have events, including educational and fundraising opportunities.
We understand there will be added expenses, e.g., maintenance of the buildings, trails, and the site; insurance; and utilities. While revenue options will certainly increase with new fundraising and revenue opportunities, we are seeking pledges to help bridge a potential near-term gap and defray initial expenses. If you would like to make a pledge at this time, be assured we will not move forward with those pledges unless we accept Prairie Pines. If the Board does approve acceptance, we can then honor your pledge. Please contact Mark Brohman or the office for additional information.
Center for Grasslands Studies Fall Seminars
Seminars will be live-streamed on Mondays, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m. through December 2 at https://unl.zoom.us/i/91274348434. Details on weekly topics and presenters can be found at https://grassland.unl.edu/ or email grassland@unl.edu.
Reptiles of Nebraska Night
In celebration of October being Nebraska Reptile Month, Nebraska Game and Parks and UNL’s School of Natural Resources will host a large-scale, family-friendly reptile fun night! Join us at Hardin Hall on East Campus (33rd and Holdrege streets) from 4:30 - 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, October 24, for a night to celebrate reptiles. Dennis Ferraro, UNL herpetologist, will have an exhibit of snakes, lizards, and turtles of Nebraska. Along with live animals, there will be touch stations, coloring stations, turtle and snake activities, and many educational booths dedicated to educating Nebraskans on the importance and awesomeness of native reptiles in our state.
This is a FREE event that includes FREE parking! The first 200 families will take home a reptile swag bag! Several food trucks will be onsite where you can purchase dinner.