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NRD News and Events

All About DWEE: Understanding Nebraska's Natural Resources Data Bank

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

The Nebraska Natural Resources Data Bank is like a big library for all things related to Nebraska’s land and water. It's run by the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment (DWEE) and has been around since 1969, established by the Nebraska Legislature. The mai...

Secretary Rollins Announces New Priorities for Research and Development in 2026

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

(Washington, D.C., December 30, 2025) – Today, U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke L. Rollins, signed a Secretary’s Memorandum (PDF, 909 KB) that puts forth a focused effort to establish new priorities for future research and development activities funded...

USDA Advances Farm Security Action Plan to Protect U.S. Farmland and Federal Programs from Foreign Adversaries

Wednesday, December 31, 2025

Secretary Rollins Announces AFIDA Modernization Comment Period and BioPreferred Eligibility Updates to Put American Producers First(Washington, D.C., December 30, 2025) – As committed to under USDA’s National Farm Security Action Plan (PDF, 1.2 MB) U.S. Se...

Application Deadline for Nitrogen Reduction Payments Moved to Dec. 15

Saturday, September 27, 2025

The application deadline for a program that pays farmers $10-$15 acre if they reduce nitrogen applications by at least 15% or 40lbs/acre in 2026 has been extended to Dec. 15. It was Nov. 15.The same program was offered statewide last year and paid for by the State of Nebrask...

NRD Hall of Fame Inductees Announced at Husker Harvest Days

Thursday, September 11, 2025

LINCOLN, Nebraska – During Husker Harvest Days this morning, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) recognized three individuals, who will be inducted into the NRD Hall of Fame later this month.“Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts involve many dedicate...

Husker Harvest Days includes Free Trees and Water Testing

Tuesday, September 2, 2025

Three individuals will be inducted into the NRD Hall of FameLINCOLN, Nebraska – Questions about trees, flood control, water quality or cost-share programs? Stop in to visit Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts during Husker Harvest Days Sept. 9-11, 2025.

URNRD Accepting Bids For Used Pickups

Wednesday, August 20, 2025

The Upper Republican NRD is accepting bids from the public for four used vehicles and will enter into agreements to sell them to the highest bidder for each. Bids must be received by the NRD by 4 p.m. on Sept. 8 by hand delivery to the office at 511 E. 5th Street in Imperial...

Officials push for Perkins County Canal despite challenges

Thursday, August 7, 2025

by: George Lauby Nebraska is suing Colorado over the water in the South Platte River in a battle that is expected to be decided by the U.S. Supreme Court, state officials announced July 15.The lawsuit aims to clear the way for construction of the Perkins County Canal in...

Nebraska sues neighboring Colorado over how much water it's drawing from the South Platte River

Wednesday, July 16, 2025

MARGERY A. BECKWed, July 16, 2025 at 2:00 PM MDTOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Nebraska is suing Colorado over the amount of water it draws from the South Platte River, the latest in a long history of water rights disputes between the states that have been left increasingly dry by cli...

Nebraska U ranks in top 10% worldwide for agriculture, natural resources

Wednesday, July 9, 2025

By Geitner Simmons | IANR MediaThe University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s agriculture and natural resources programs rank in the top 10% of nearly 500 institutions worldwide, according to new QS World University Rankings.Nebraska ranked third among Big Ten land-grant...

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Regional/National Water News

America Is Using Up Its Groundwater Like There’s No Tomorrow

10/10/2023

GLOBAL WARMING HAS FOCUSED concern on land and sky as soaring temperatures intensify hurricanes, droughts and wildfires. But another climate crisis is unfolding, underfoot and out of view. Many of the aquifers that supply 90 percent of the nation’s water systems, and which...Read more

Nebraska Water Center researchers conduct statewide project to characterize nitrogen transformation beneath ground surface

08/12/2023

Surface soil, the deeper vadose zone, and groundwater are all interconnected and of particular importance due to Nebraska’s agricultural practices and reliance on groundwater for multiple uses. The vadose zone refers to the unsaturated zone above the water table, where...Read more

Disaster declared in 55 Nebraska counties because of drought

04/06/2023

More than half of Nebraska's counties have been designated as primary natural disaster areas because of the ongoing drought. The United States Department of Agriculture on Wednesday announced the designation for 55 of the state's 93 counties, which makes farmers and...Read more

Continued below-average precipitation reduces groundwater levels, report shows

04/05/2023

by Geitner Simmons | IANR Media Groundwater levels have declined in most of Nebraska following multiple years of below-average precipitation, University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists found in a new statewide analysis. About three-quarters of the 4,787 observation wells...Read more

Feds slap restrictions on more than 1,000 miles of Keystone pipeline after Kansas oil spill

03/08/2023

By Celia Llopis-Jepsen, KCUR March 8, 2023, 4 p.m Oil spills on the Keystone pipeline that runs from Canada to Texas are becoming more frequent and serious, federal regulators said Tuesday. So the U.S. Department of Transportation ordered Canadian company TC Energy to lower...Read more

Dicamba use deadline to remain as June 30 in Nebraska

02/27/2023

LINCOLN, Neb. —Nebraska Department of Agriculture (NDA) Director Sherry Vinton recently sent a letter to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) objecting to a label revision for the herbicide dicamba and a proposed early cutoff date for its use. NDA was recently...Read more

USDA Invests More than $48.6 Million to Manage Risks, Combat Climate Change

02/21/2023

WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 2023 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will invest more than $48.6 million this year through the Joint Chiefs’ Landscape Restoration Partnership for projects that mitigate wildfire risk, improve water quality, restore forest ecosystems, and...Read more

Nebraska joins other states to fight new WOTUS rule

02/16/2023

BY: CINDY GONZALEZ LINCOLN — Nebraska on Thursday joined 24 other states in a lawsuit against the Biden administration’s new rule defining so-called Waters of the United States, or WOTUS. The multi-state coalition said the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Army Corps...Read more

'Potential for a lawsuit': State leaders clash over $567M canal project

12/30/2022

Engineers finish evaluating Perkins County Canal Project PERKINS COUNTY, Neb. — The fight for water between Nebraska and Colorado is also dividing state leaders. The Perkins County Canal Project would divert water from the South Platte River into Nebraska as Colorado...Read more

Bison return program is now helping Native American ranchers build herds

11/08/2022

About 330 bison coming from Nebraska preserve operated by the Nature Conservancy BY: PAUL HAMMEL - NOVEMBER 3, 2022 LINCOLN — For years, Wayne Frederick and his father managed a herd of bison held by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of south-central South Dakota. But now, a unique...Read more