Connecting People
With Nature
Lincoln Water System:
Planning for the Future
by Steve Owen, Lincoln Water System General Manager
Wachiska Program and General Meeting — Thursday, October 10, 7:00 p.m., Unitarian Church,
6300 A Street, and also via YouTube link: https://youtube.com/live/yCOjZnmhvRs?feature=share
The Lincoln Water System was established in 1876 as a municipal water system that has provided water supply to the City of Lincoln for 148 years. As Lincoln has grown to its present-day population of nearly 300,000, so has the need for additional water supply. In fact, 100 years ago, with the local water supply running low and having questionable quality, Lincoln’s leaders made a strategic decision to develop an additional water source near Ashland, along the Platte River. The Platte River wellfields continue to be Lincoln’s current source of water supply. Now, 100 years later, Lincoln’s leaders are again embarking on another strategic step, aka Water 2.0, to fully develop the Platte River source as well as secure a second water source near the Missouri River. From the history of the Lincoln Water System, through future planning efforts, this talk will provide the audience with an understanding of the complexities involved in operating a public water supply and providing safe and reliable water to a large community like Lincoln.
Steve Owen was born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where both his grandfather and great-grandfather made their careers at the Council Bluffs Waterworks. Steve earned a B.S. in civil engineering from UNL. He is a licensed civil engineer and Grade I water operator. Steve has worked in various management capacities in Lincoln’s public utilities divisions during his nearly 40-year career, and he currently serves as the Lincoln Water System Division Manager. He enjoys the outdoors spending time fishing, hunting, and motorcycling.
Join Wachiska Audubon on Thursday, October 10, at 7:00 p.m. at Lincoln’s Unitarian Church, 6300 A Street, to learn more about Lincoln’s water future. This free, public, in-person presentation will also be live-streamed on YouTube at
https://youtube.com/live/yCOjZnmhvRs?feature=share
No registration is needed. This presentation can also be viewed at a later time. Check Wachiska’s website for links to past programs.
Sunday, October 6, from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m., Wachiska will hold an open house at Prairie Pines.
This will be an opportunity for members, friends, and the public to walk around the property, ask questions, and provide input to the Wachiska Board of Directors as it moves toward a decision whether to accept the property. See Events for information.
October 2024 Calendar of Events
October 3 Fall Birdseed Sale orders due –
postmarked by today
October 4 Deadline for ordering 2025 Audubon calendars
October 6 Prairies Pines open house, 1:00 - 3:00 p.m.
October 7 Education/Outreach Committee via Zoom
6:00 p.m.
October 10 General Meeting, “Lincoln Water System:
Planning for the Future" by Steve Owen
by Steve Owen 7:00 p.m. in-person at
Unitarian Church live-streamed;
no registration needed (see link above)
October 15 Newsletter Deadline, Wachiska Office,
5:00 p.m.
Board Meeting via Zoom, 7:00 p.m.
Give Nebraska is preparing to kick off this year's
campaign.
Wachiska Audubon Society will be participating and we are fortunate to be one of the 70+ members who benefit from the 100+ public and private workplaces that allow employees to contribute to their favorite non-profits through payroll deductions.
In September 2021, the Wachiska Board adopted the National Audubon’s Statement on Equity, Diversity and Inclusion as the Chapter’s own goals:
The birds Audubon pledges to protect differ in color, size, behavior, geographical preference, and countless other ways. By honoring and celebrating the equally remarkable diversity of the human species, Audubon will bring new creativity, effectiveness and leadership to our work throughout the hemisphere.
Join friends and neighbors to show your concern about our climate and our elected officials. Stop by the Wachiska office and pick up your Climate yard sign.
Signs that say “VOTE with CLIMATE in Mind” are available for $10 each. They are made of material that will hold up well to the elements and come with a metal holder to push into the ground. You are encouraged to put your signs out now for the fall elections. Since they are so durable, they could easily last three or four years even if kept out all year.
The photos on this website were taken by Wachiska members. Many thanks to Bruce Wendorff,
Linda Brown, Paul Johnsguard, Tim Knott, Stu Luttich, John Carlini and Elizabeth Nelson.