Middle Niobrara NRD

Natural Resources District Overview

Bordering South Dakota, the MNNRD lies in north central Nebraska along the middle stretch of the Niobrara River. The District is made up of the northern two-thirds of Cherry County, western Keya Paha, northern Brown, and a small parcel of western Rock County. One of the largest NRDs in the state, the MNNRD has an area of 2,983,680 acres. The district is located in MLRAs 64 (Mixed Sandy and Silty Tableland - 13,000 acres), 65 (Nebraska Sandhills - 2,770,680 acres) and 66 (Dakota-Nebraska Eroded Tableland - 200,000 acres).

The primary land use is rangeland which accounts for 2,719,780 acres. Secondary land uses are non-irrigated cropland accounting for 128,900 acres and 96,400 acres of irrigated cropland. The remaining land uses account for 38,600 acres.

Total population in the district is 9100 people. Population in the two cities (Valentine and Ainsworth) totals 4696 residents and the population in the smaller villages of Merriman, Eli, Cody, Nenzel, Kilgore, Crookston, Sparks, Johnstown, and Wood Lake total 1017 residents. The rural population accounts for another 3464 people.

The district's economy is strongly tied to agriculture, with both rural and urban income linked to farming and/or ranching. Most of the farming is limited to the area near Ainsworth with a few small pockets scattered throughout the NRD. Principle crops are both irrigated and dryland corn and alfalfa. Other dryland small grains (oats, rye, millet, sudangrass, wheat) are also grown. Most of the land in western Brown and Cherry County is devoted to the production of livestock. Grazing occurs on upland, native rangeland. Sub-irrigated meadows are harvested for native hay during the summer months and aftergrass is grazed in the fall and following spring. Spring and fall calving cow/calf operations and backgrounding and yearling operations are common.

Recently, tourism and outdoor recreation has become an important secondary industry and an additional source of income in the area. The construction of Merritt Reservoir and increased publicity of the Niobrara Scenic River has helped bring thousands of outdoor enthusiasts to the area.

This district is in a semi-arid to humid continental climate. Summers are characterized by temperatures in the upper 80's to mid 90's with occasional readings above 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Winter mean temperatures average between 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit with the potential for low temperatures falling well below zero. Temperatures during the spring and fall tend to vary greatly with the passing of weather systems. It is not uncommon to have a 20 to 30 degree change as a front passes through the area.

Annual precipitation in the district ranges from below 17 inches in the far west to over 21 inches in Brown and Rock Counties. Most of the district's rainfall occurs during the late spring and summer. Summer storms are sometimes intense and result in a wide variance in rainfall amounts. Spring and fall precipitation is usually more general, although the total for any given event is normally small. Snowfall for the area averages 40 inches per season.