United States Department of Agriculture
Natural Resources Conservation Service		 Nebraska Go to Accessibility Information
Skip to Page Content
 Photo of Nebraska





Lower Big Blue NRD   

Image of Lower Big Blue coverage area

Office Information

Name Address Phone Numbers
Walter J. Valasek
District Conservationist		 200 N. 24th Street, Suite 3
Beatrice, NE 68310-3427		 Phone:  (402)223-3125
Fax:  (402)223-4585
  • District Conservationist Biographical Sketch
  • Resource Needs and Concerns
  • Priorities Addressed by NRCS
  • EQIP Priority Areas
  • Primary Programs and Services
  • Lower Big Blue NRD homepage
    •

    District Conservationist Biographical Sketch

    Walter J. Valasek
    District Conservationist
    Lower Big Blue NRD

    I grew up on a farm in Central Nebraska located southwest of Spalding, Nebraska.

    1971 -- Received Bachelor of Science Degree in Agronomy, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

    Upon graduation from UNL, I began working for NRCS (SCS) in June, 1971, as a Soil Conservationist at the Ord Field Office.  I transferred as a Soil Conservationist to North Platte Field Office in May, 1972.  I became District Conservationist in the Auburn Field Office in April, 1974.  I then moved to my present position of District Conservationist at the Beatrice Field Office in May, 1977.

    Resource Needs and Concerns

    The Lower Big Blue Natural Resources District is located in southeast Nebraska and consists of 1,054,000 acres in Gage, Saline, Jefferson, and Pawnee County.  The majority of the district, 75% or 770,000 acres consists of cropland.  There is 170,000 acres of pivot and furrow irrigation.  The irrigation in the area is limited by the lack of adequate groundwater.

    The area is highly dissected with the predominate soil type being silty clay loam on slopes ranging from 1% to 10%.  The low permeability of the soil, topography, and high-intensity rainfall, are major contributors to excessive sheet, rill, ephemeral, and gully erosion, if conservation practices are not present.  Lowland areas are also subject to excessive flooding.

     The following are the resource conerns identified by the Lower Big Blue NRD.

    • Soil erosion on cropland
    • Flood control and prevention
    • Surface Water Quality - nutrient and pesticide
    • Groundwater quality
    • Irrigation Efficiency
    • Grazingland - health and productivity
    • Development and management of recreation facilities
    • Quantity and quality of wildlife habitat
    • Animal Waste Management

    Primary Programs and Services

    A variety of programs are available to help land users with their resource concerns, in the district, they include:

    • ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY INCENTIVE PROGRAM (EQIP)
    • WILDLIFE HABITAT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS (WHIP)
    • WETLAND RESERVE PROGRAM (WRP)
    • NEBRASKA SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION PROGRAM (NSWCP)
    • NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICT COST SHARE PROGRAM
    • CONSERVATION RESERVE PROGRAM (CRP)
    • PL-556 WATERSHED AND LAND TREATMENT
    • GREAT PLAINS PROGRAM (FP)
    • NATURAL RESOURCE DISTRICT SMALL DAMS PROGRAM
    • NEBRASKA BUFFER PROGRAM
    • PHEASANTS FOREVER
    • NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS
    • FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE
    • RAIN WATER BASIN JOINT VENTURE PROGRAM

    Please contact your local NRCS office for more information on specific programs or services that may be of interest to you.