Little Blue Natural Resources District

What Little Blue Natural Resources District does

Little Blue Natural Resources District (LBNRD) is a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska, created under Nebraska Revised Statute Chapter 2, Article 3, that manages natural resources across portions of six counties in south-central Nebraska (Adams, Clay, Fillmore, Thayer, Nuckolls, and Webster). The district holds statutory regulatory authority over groundwater allocation, water quality enforcement, well drilling permits, and conservation program administration within its jurisdictional boundaries. Core services include groundwater management (with mandatory 65 acre-inches-per-certified-acre allocations now active in both Hydrogeologic Units 1 and 2), water quality monitoring (325 irrigation well samples annually plus free private well nitrate testing), conservation programs (buffer strips, tree planting, dam construction), urban planning assistance, rural water supply development, cost-share financial assistance, and management of seven recreation areas. Educational outreach includes Water Jamboree, Earth Jamboree, ACE Camp, six $500 annual conservation scholarships, and the monthly "Out of the Blue" newsletter.

The district operates a groundwater monitoring network covering approximately 486,400 acres under regulatory stays, using deep, valley, and intermediate wells with weighted average water level calculations via GIS mapping. A three-tier Level I/II/III water quality enforcement system manages high-nitrate sub-areas, with four sub-areas (Kenesaw/Prosser, Deshler/Byron/Ruskin, Bruning, Fairbury) currently at Level III requiring annual soil sampling, pre-March 1 nitrogen fertilizer prohibitions, and mandatory irrigation scheduling. Technology infrastructure is conventional environmental monitoring rather than AI-enabled.

LBNRD is funded primarily through property tax levies (FY2022 budget of $4,168,252 with a .020879 levy), supplemented by federal and state grants (NRCS, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy), ARPA-funded programs ($1.2M Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program statewide), and pass-through cost-share reimbursements. It is governed by an elected Board of Directors with Marlin Kimle as Board Chair and operates from a single headquarters in Davenport, Nebraska. The district has no parent company, subsidiaries, or private ownership, and is not an investable enterprise in the conventional PE/VC/M&A sense.

Name

Little Blue Natural Resources District

Legal name

Little Blue Natural Resources District

Website

https://littlebluenrd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Little Blue Natural Resources District is a Nebraska governmental subdivision managing groundwater allocation, water quality enforcement, conservation programs, and seven recreation areas across six counties in south-central Nebraska, funded by property tax levies and state/federal grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Natural Resources Management

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Conservation Programs (92412), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (92411), Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

State/Provincial Environmental Protection & Natural Resources Administration (BPAIABAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Protection Agencies & Environmental Health Departments (HLAJAFAA), Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction & Leak Detection (EUANAAAF), Education & Community Programs (Junior Ranger, Citizen Science, School Programs) (THAAAGAK)

Keywords

• Groundwater management
• Water quality monitoring
• Natural resource conservation
• Watershed planning
• Agricultural conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Davenport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Levy: Governmental district funded primarily through property tax levies. FY 2022 budget approved at $4,168,252 with a tax levy of .020879.
2. Federal and State Program Grants: Funding from USDA NRCS watershed programs, Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy programs, and American Rescue Plan Act funds for specific initiatives like reverse osmosis rebates.
3. Cost-Share Program Administration: Administers various cost-share programs including buffer strips, tree programs, and flow meter repairs where the district provides financial assistance to landowners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Little Blue Natural Resources District is a local governmental entity that manages groundwater quantity and quality, administers conservation cost-share programs, develops rural water projects, operates seven recreation areas, and delivers youth/community education across six south-central Nebraska counties. The district enforces mandatory groundwater allocations, a three-tier water quality enforcement system for high-nitrate areas, well drilling permits, and conservation practices through buffer strips, tree planting, and erosion control programs.

Product overview

Little Blue Natural Resources District is a local governmental entity providing comprehensive natural resource management services across south-central Nebraska. The District operates as a unified service organization offering interconnected programs including groundwater management with mandatory allocations and quality enforcement, conservation programs (dams, trees, buffer strips), urban planning assistance, seven recreation areas, youth education programs (Earth Jamboree, Water Jamboree, scholarships), rural water projects, cost-share programs, and free water quality testing. The organization does not operate as a technology product company but rather as a regulatory and service agency protecting water and land resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groundwater Management Comprehensive groundwater management program covering water quality monitoring, quantity tracking, allocation regulations, and compliance enforcement for high-capacity irrigation, municipal, industrial, recreational, and fish and wildlife users. Includes mandatory allocations of 65 acre-inches per certified irrigated acre over 5-year periods and trigger levels for regulatory action in Geologic Areas 1 and 2.
• Water Quality Services Water quality protection services including free nitrate testing for drinking water, water sample analysis, and water quality sub-area management with Level I, II, III enforcement for high-nitrate areas. Supports private well owners and municipalities with nitrate contamination testing and treatment assistance through the Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program.
• Conservation Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Mandatory groundwater allocation of 65 acre-inches per certified irrigated acre over 5-year period for Hydrogeologic Units 1 and 2
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regular.

• Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2024Federal agency partnership for watershed planning, Flood Risk Reduction Program, Water Quality Initiative, and EQIP program delivery. NRCS provides technical and financial assistance support for district conservation projects including Thirty-Two Mile Creek Watershed and Big Sandy Watershed initiatives.
• Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2024Farming for the Blue River project partnership focused on co-learning with farmers to develop nutrient management plans reducing nitrogen losses and improving nitrogen use efficiency through peer-to-peer learning networks.
• Lower Big Blue NRDcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 March 2024Co-partner in Farming for the Blue River project, working collaboratively with farmers on regional nutrient management and water quality improvement efforts.
• Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2023State agency administering Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program funded through $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds. NDEE provides rebates up to $4,000 per system for private wells exceeding 10 ppm nitrate.
• JEO Consulting GroupmajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 12 April 2023Engineering firm retained to complete the WFPO Watershed Plan-Environmental Assessment for Thirty-Two Mile Creek Watershed Improvement Project in Adams County, Nebraska. Project scheduled for 24-month completion with planning anticipated through spring 2025.
• University of Nebraska ExtensionregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for Earth Jamboree, operator training, and agricultural education programs. Extension provides technical expertise and assists with educational content delivery to district youth and agricultural programs.
• Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA)regularStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-administrator of Nebraska Buffer Strip Program with NRCS, funded through pesticide registration fees. Department oversees program compliance and certification for filter strip and riparian forest buffer installations.
• Tri Basin NRDregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative watershed management planning partner for addressing water quality and quantity across the combined NRD district boundaries. Joint Watershed Management Plan completed for regional water resource coordination.
• Nebraska Association of Resources DistrictsregularGTM or Marketing PartnerState association of NRDs that sponsors ACE Camp and coordinates statewide conservation education and advocacy efforts. Partners on youth programming and district representation.
• Nebraska Game and Parks CommissionregularStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in ACE Camp programming and conservation education, providing wildlife and aquatic resources expertise for youth environmental programs.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Nebraska Association of Resources Districts: State association of all 23 Nebraska NRDs that coordinates statewide conservation education (ACE Camp), legislative advocacy, and inter-district collaboration — a coordinating body rather than direct operator but essential peer ecosystem participant.

Direct peers

• Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District: Adjacent Nebraska NRD co-partnered on the Farming for the Blue River project; operates identical groundwater allocation, water quality, and conservation frameworks across south-central Nebraska counties, making it the closest functional peer.
• Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District: Another Nebraska NRD covering counties adjacent to Little Blue's service area; operates parallel groundwater management, allocation, and conservation programs under the same state statutory framework.
• Lewis and Clark Natural Resources District: Northeast Nebraska NRD administering similar groundwater allocation, cost-share, recreation, and education programs under identical state statutory authority.
• Central Platte Natural Resources District: Nebraska NRD administering groundwater allocation rules along the Platte River basin, facing similar depletion and Platte River compact pressures as Little Blue, and operating under the same NRD enabling statute.
• Tri Basin Natural Resources District: Neighboring NRD with joint Watershed Management Plan collaboration; provides identical regulatory, conservation, and cost-share programs for agricultural producers in central Nebraska.
• Middle Republican Natural Resources District: South-central Nebraska NRD administering groundwater and surface water programs with comparable Integrated Management Plans and Republican River basin compact obligations.
• Lower Platte South Natural Resources District: Larger Nebraska NRD operating comparable groundwater management and conservation programs in eastern Nebraska, including mandatory allocations and water quality sub-areas.

Broad incumbents

• USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS): Federal agency partner that co-delivers EQIP, watershed planning, and conservation programs with NRDs; functions as both funder and operational peer for technical assistance delivery.
• Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE): State-level environmental regulator that administers the Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program and sets water quality standards enforced locally by NRDs; serves as the upstream funder and policy-setter for LBNRD's water quality work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/littlebluenrd
• Facebookfacebook.com/lbnrd
• Instagraminstragram.com/littlebluenrd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/little-blue-natural-resources-district

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Little Blue Natural Resources District