Tri Basin NRD

What Tri Basin NRD does

Tri-Basin Natural Resources District (NRD) is a political subdivision of the State of Nebraska that manages groundwater, surface water, soil, and related land resources across Gosper, Phelps, and Kearney Counties in south-central Nebraska. One of 23 NRDs in the state, it is unique in spanning three river basins—the Republican, Platte, and Little Blue. Governance is provided by a 13-member board of directors, with operational execution by approximately 15 staff. Its statutory mandate covers well permitting, groundwater management, irrigation water management, soil and land management, water quality testing, and public education.

The district's core service portfolio includes high-value irrigation well permits (typically valid for the life of the well), flow-meter-based irrigation water management under integrated management plans, soil and land stewardship programs, and laboratory water-quality testing. It also operates or partners on specialized monitoring infrastructure: the NeRAIN (Nebraska Rainfall Assessment and Information Network) weather observation grid targeted at 45 townships, the TBAWMN atmometer network for evapotranspiration measurement, and an ET Data Text Service that delivers crop water-use information to irrigators via SMS. These tools collectively constitute the district's agronomic advisory platform.

Tri-Basin NRD's business model is non-commercial: the district is funded primarily by property taxes levied within its three-county boundary, supplemented by cost-share programs such as the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program (NRIP) administered in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Agriculture, and grants from the Nebraska Environmental Trust. It does not sell to traditional commercial "customers" but rather serves all landowners and water users within its jurisdiction, with agricultural irrigators constituting the principal engaged stakeholder group. Operational partners include University of Nebraska–Lincoln extension, USDA NRCS, the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, and neighboring NRDs, with co-location of NRCS staff in district service centers consolidating conservation program delivery.

Name

Tri Basin NRD

Legal name

Tri-Basin Natural Resources District

Website

https://tribasinnrd.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tri-Basin Natural Resources District is a Nebraska government agency managing water and land resources across Gosper, Phelps, and Kearney Counties. It administers well permits, irrigation water management, ET and rainfall monitoring networks, and the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program for agricultural irrigators and rural landowners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Water Resource Management

NAICS

Water Supply and Irrigation Systems (221310), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (924)

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Groundwater Monitoring & Well Sampling (Monitoring Wells, Plumes) (EUAHACAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) & Smart Meter Analytics (Meter Data for NRW) (EUANAKAC), Non-Revenue Water (NRW) Reduction & Leak Detection (EUANAAAF)

Keywords

• Natural resources management
• Groundwater management
• Watershed management
• Agricultural water permitting
• Water quality protection

Headquarters

HQ city

Holdrege

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Revenue: As a political subdivision of Nebraska, Tri-Basin NRD receives funding through local property taxes levied on residents within the district boundaries.
2. Well Permit and Regulatory Fees: Revenue from well permit applications ($50 standard fee, $250 late fee for construction before approval), chemigation permits, and other regulatory fees.
3. State and Federal Funding: Grants and funding from Nebraska state agencies and federal programs, including Nebraska Environmental Trust grants for programs like NeRAIN.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Tri-Basin NRD is a local government agency that operates a district-wide Groundwater Management Area to protect groundwater quality and quantity across Gosper, Phelps, and Kearney Counties in South Central Nebraska. It manages 25 miles of drainage ditches, administers well permitting and chemigation certification, delivers irrigation water management reporting and ultrasonic flow meter services, runs the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program, provides free domestic water testing, and maintains the NeRAIN volunteer rain gauge network and ET data monitoring systems.

Product overview

Tri Basin NRD operates as a local government agency offering a portfolio of interconnected natural resource management services rather than a single unified product. The core offerings include a district-wide Groundwater Management Area for water quality and quantity protection, and Land Management covering drainage infrastructure. Supporting services include ET Data Text Service and TBAWMN for crop water monitoring, Well Permits and Irrigation Water Management for regulatory compliance, Ultrasonic Flowmeters for measurement services, Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program (NRIP) for agricultural best practices, Domestic Water Testing, and various community programs including Trees for Newborns and Arbor Day celebrations. Youth education through ACE Camp and multiple newsletter programs (Tri-Basin Irrigator, Tri-Basin Topics) provide outreach. These services work together to fulfill the district's mission of managing, conserving, and protecting land and water resources across three river basins.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Groundwater Management Area District-wide groundwater management area that protects groundwater quality and quantity, including monitoring and mapping of groundwater resources across Gosper, Phelps, and Kearney Counties.
• Land Management Operates 25 miles of drainage ditches and associated works, cooperating with local irrigation and drainage districts to maintain drainage infrastructure throughout the district.
• ET Data Text Service Free daily text message service providing predictions for evapotranspiration (ET) data and crop water use information during the growing season (June through August).
• Tri-Basin Agricultural Water Management Network (TBAWMN) Network of atmometer sites providing weekly ET data for crop water use monitoring across the district.
• Well Permits Permit application and management system for new wells, replacement wells, and groundwater transfers in the district, with associated fees ($50 standard, $250 late fee) and regulatory compliance.
• Irrigation Water Management Water usage reporting system requiring irrigators to submit meter readings, crop information, and tillage practices annually by November 17th.
• Ultrasonic Flowmeters Portable flow measurement service allowing operators to measure irrigation system water flow by clamping onto pipes, with cost-share programs available for permanent installations.
• Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program (NRIP) Statewide program providing financial incentives to producers for adopting technologies or practices that reduce nitrogen application by 40lbs or 15%, with priority areas receiving $15 per acre.
• Domestic Water Testing Free annual testing program for rural residents to have household drinking water tested for nitrates and bacteria, with results recorded in water quality database.
• Chemigation Permits and Certification Permit and certification program for chemigation (chemical injection into irrigation systems) ensuring proper application and environmental protection.
• Trees for Newborns Program Program offering free trees to parents of newborn babies in Gosper, Phelps, and Kearney counties to commemorate their child's birth, with varieties including Norway Maple and Little Leaf Linden.
• Arbor Day Celebrations Annual community tree giveaways held in Minden, Axtell, Holdrege, Loomis, Bertrand, and Elwood in conjunction with Arbor Day celebrations on the last Friday in April.
• Youth Education Programs Natural resources education opportunities including ACE Camp (Adventure Camp about the Environment) for seventh and eighth graders, providing hands-on environmental learning experiences.
• Weather Data Services Comprehensive weather data including NeRAIN volunteer rain gauge network, Holdrege monthly precipitation and temperature data, and ET data collection.
• Newsletter Programs Multiple newsletter offerings including the Tri-Basin Irrigator newsletter, Tri-Basin Topics quarterly newsletter, and Natural Resources Report weekly podcast.
• Integrated Management Plan Reports Annual and periodic reports for Platte Basin, Republican Basin, and Little Blue Basin Integrated Management Plans documenting water resource conditions and management activities.

Named customers2 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (Statewide Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTri-Basin NRD works with all 23 NRDs across Nebraska on collaborative water management initiatives, data sharing, and statewide programs like NeRAIN.
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for ET data tools, crop water use calculators, nitrogen management tools, extension publications, and research collaboration on irrigation efficiency and groundwater management.
• NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerShared service centers in Holdrege and Minden with NRCS staff co-located, offering conservation programs including NSWCP cost-share for flow meters and well decommissioning.
• Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (NeDNR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for integrated water management plans, well registration, the Nitrogen Reduction Incentive Program (NRIP), and compliance with interstate water agreements.
• Local Irrigation and Drainage DistrictsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperates with local irrigation and drainage districts to maintain the 25 miles of drainage ditches and associated works throughout the district.
• KRVN and KUVR Radio StationsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal radio partners for the weekly Natural Resources Report podcast and public notices about board meetings and district activities.
• Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner for chemigation rules and water quality standards compliance.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Lower Republican NRD: Nebraska NRD operating in the lower Republican River basin, sharing the Republican basin component of Tri-Basin NRD's jurisdiction and working on the same integrated management plan and groundwater quantity issues.
• Central Platte NRD: Nebraska NRD that manages groundwater and surface water across a portion of the Platte River basin, sharing the same basin as Tri-Basin NRD and overlapping on irrigation management, well permitting, and nitrogen reduction programs.
• Lower Platte South NRD: Nebraska NRD serving the lower Platte South basin with comparable groundwater management area, irrigation water management, and NRIP-style incentive programs.
• Lower Platte North NRD: Nebraska NRD operating in the lower Platte North basin with similar groundwater management, water quality testing, and irrigation reporting services to Tri-Basin NRD.
• Upper Big Blue NRD: Neighboring Nebraska NRD in south-central Nebraska with directly comparable irrigation management, groundwater quantity controls, and nitrogen reduction programs.
• Upper Republican NRD: Nebraska NRD in the upper Republican River basin; comparable scale, services, and governance structure, including irrigation management reporting and groundwater quantity programs in the same basin.
• Middle Republican NRD: Nebraska NRD in the middle Republican River basin, adjacent to Tri-Basin and a direct collaborator on Republican Basin integrated management and interstate compact compliance.
• Little Blue NRD: Nebraska NRD that shares the Little Blue basin component of Tri-Basin NRD's multi-basin coverage; offers highly comparable groundwater management, well permitting, and irrigation services.

Regional players

• South Platte Water Related Activities Program (Colorado): Colorado-based entity focused on South Platte basin water management activities; comparable groundwater/surface water governance function to an NRD but operating in a different state and basin.

Broad incumbents

• Nebraska Department of Natural Resources: State-level agency that partners with all 23 NRDs including Tri-Basin on integrated water management, well registration, interstate compacts, and oversight of basin-wide allocations.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Tri_Basin_NRD
• Facebookfacebook.com/TriBasinNRD
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tri-basin-nrd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles20 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 Tri Basin NRD