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have the spraying done. Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District is having a • helicopter spray phragmites at the North Platte Diversion Dam. The LCWCA is already contracted with them to do additional work, so they could include aerial spraying of the choke point area in the same project. We would get 28 acres sprayed for $6,000, which is significantly less than the hard engineering solution. This has several beneficial aspects: 1) an opportunity to get spraying accomplished this fall before frost is important; 2) keeps us out of soliciting spraying contractors directly; 3) the LCWCA has its own insurance coverage and will indemnify us; and 4) landowner access agreements are already in place. Kenny said he has coordinated with the LCWCA and the NCF and both are amendable to a simple-form contract and have copies. If there are no objections, we can get the spraying done this week at a low price and have tangible results. Mark Butler asked if it would require just one spray, and if we would have to physically remove the dead material. Kenny said the agreement would accomplish spraying, and that should have a kill time of 3-5 years. Removal is not part of provision, but once dead its ability to impede flow is significantly reduced. Bill Taddicken said eventually, it will be best to find a way to remove it next year because it will stick around. Rowe Sanctuary has worked on spraying this year and it has worked well, so this is a great way to get it done at the choke point. But, in the future, the Program will need to remove the dead phragmites. Keehn said if we can kill the phragmites with spraying, we can then monitor during the pulse flow to see if removal is necessary or if the water passes through well enough. Bleed said it is important to specify in the contract that the contractor will go back and re-spray if it doesn't work right. Kenny said he will talk to the LCWCA to check on this guarantee. Bleed asked if the spraying was just focusing on • phragmites, and Kenny said the spraying will be area-based. Kraus asked if the spraying was being done in lieu of channel cleaning, and Keehn responded that aside from island removal, this is in lieu of channel cleaning. He reported that local residents are not in favor of channel cleaning, so we have gone back to phragmites spraying and island removal. Kenny said it seems we can accomplish flow goals using a much less intrusive approach. Purcell asked if the states need to fund this or if we can also use federal dollars. John Lawson said the legislation seems to be moving along, and this is a small amount of money involved, but the Bureau of Reclamation prefers using state funds until legislation is finalized. Purcell said the project would be done with just state dollars, and Bleed said this is not a problem as long as all the details are worked out. Jeff Runge said the window for spraying is closing fast and the first killing frost will end the spraying time period. Kenny said the helicopter would be departing soon. Bleed asked for details on the window for spraying. Jason Alexander indicated that spraying has to be completed when phragmites "shooters" are growing in July or spraying doesn't work well. Taddicken said Jeffrey Island plots were sprayed in September and phragmites has not grown back. Bleed said we need to address the concern about October spraying and if that doesn't work the contractor must come back to finish the job. Mark Butler asked about the details of the monitoring system. Keehn said it is a visual system at key property locations and that he has cross-sections in the HEC-RAS model that can be used for transects. Rocky reported that he has not yet worked out how we are going to actually record ? This document is a draft based on one person's notes of the meering. The official meeting minutes may be different if corrections are made by the Governance Coxnxnittee before approval. Page 4 of 10