Irrigation Development and Certified Acres

The LENRD Board of Directors feels that certification is necessary to best conserve, protect, develop, and manage the natural resources within the District.  In effect, certification will also recognize landowners’ abilities to irrigate Certified Irrigated Acres.

The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) has certified just over 8,000 parcels of ground and 647,050 irrigated acres.  LENRD staff contacted in writing everyone owning irrigated land within the District based on its preliminary finding.  These landowners had 30 days to contact the LENRD to correct the irrigated acres information.  If no response was received from the landowner, the LENRD considered this to be consent from the landowner to the preliminary finding.  Once landowner contacts were completed, the staff proposed a final determination of Certified Irrigated Acres within the District and the LENRD Board of Directors held a public hearing to certify those acres.

The District will continue to hold Certification Hearings in the future to update those landowners who have expanded irrigated acres through the variance process, transfers, or parcel changes in land ownership.

Currently, water staff are making sure flow meters have been installed on those fields that have been certified to be irrigated.  Once the location of the flow meter is known, it becomes easier for staff to know the parcels and acres represented by the meter.

Contact Mike Murphy if you have any questions about Irrigated Acre Certification.

Landowners within the Lower Elkhorn NRD will have an opportunity to apply for new irrigated acres in some portions of the District between October 15 - November 17, 2025. 

An approved variance is a requirement for any expansion of irrigated acres in the LENRD, whether from an existing or new irrigation well. 

View the 2025 Standard Variance Geographic Eligibility Map

Download the Standard Variance Application Form