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Gage County board approves resolution shrinking Beatrice wellhead protection area to ease potential development
Summary
The board adopted Resolution No. 26-13 to modify Beatrice’s wellhead protection-area map to include certain nonpotable wells near Blakely and Grant; the city representative said the wells have long been nonpotable because of high nitrate levels and that the change does not alter existing permits.
The Gage County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to adopt Resolution No. 26-13 to modify the Beatrice wellhead protection-area map to include areas identified in the resolution and thereby accommodate potential industrial development near Hoyt.
“Mister Rivera” (city representative) told the board the wells in question are no longer used for potable water because of long-standing high nitrate levels and that the proposed modification does not change existing permits or allow additional pumping beyond current permits.
Chair framed the change as a cooperative effort with the City of Beatrice to support potential development while preserving the legal status of existing water-use permits. Board members discussed underlying hydrogeology — noting that maps of subsurface flow can show how groundwater moves under a given area — and asked whether the change would affect water usage; Rivera responded that it would not.
The motion to adopt the resolution was moved by Lytle and seconded by Dorn and passed 6–0. The chair thanked the City of Beatrice for its cooperation; the resolution was entered into the record with a statement of reasons.
Next steps: the county will record the resolution and coordinate follow-up studies if developers pursue projects in the affected area; no changes to existing water permits were made at the meeting.
