At the Board Meeting held on Thursday, August 27, Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) Directors voted to once again open an application period for new irrigated acres in the District. Applicants who own or operate land in geographically eligible locations in the District will have the opportunity to apply for a variance from October 1 – October 30, 2026. There will be a fee of $100 per application. The geographic eligibility map and conditions for approval remain unchanged from the 2025 application period.
The 2026 application period will allow up to 267 acre-feet of new depletions in the Hydrologically Connected (1050) Area; up to 2,500 new irrigated acres in the Non-hydrologically Connected (Non-1050) Area; and no more than 474 new irrigated acres in Quantity Management Subareas.
Click here to view the 2026 Geographic Eligibility Map
Click here for the Standard Variance Application Form