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Proposed NRD Rules Changes Go To Hearing

Monday, February 13, 2023

Proposed changes to water-use regulations including the 2023-2027 allocation will have a public hearing on March 14 before a final vote by the Upper Republican NRD Board of Directors.The proposal from the board that will have a public hearing at 9 a.m. on the 14th includes a...

Funds Available to Help Restore and Protect Rangeland

Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Nebraska producers have funding available to help address the spread of invasive woody vegetation on rangeland. Landowners should apply at their local NRCS field office by Feb. 17, 2023, for funding to adopt management practices that help treat the spread of Eastern redcedar...

The U.S. EPA is proposing to make the most significant changes to Rodenticides in 15 years

Monday, January 30, 2023

ALL rodenticides to be Restricted Use Pesticides (RUP)There will be no more General Use Rozol Pocket Gopher Bait, for example. Cancellation of spot/scatter and broadcast applications Cannot be made directly to food or feed crops;May only be made using tamper-resist...

Chemigation program works with partners to protect water

Friday, January 6, 2023

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy’s (NDEE) Chemigation Program works to ensure that those using irrigation systems to apply fertilizers and pesticides do not contaminate sources of irrigation water.The Chemigation Program works with local Natural Resou...

NDEE now accepting applications for Private Well Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program

Wednesday, January 4, 2023

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) is now accepting applications for the Private Well Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program.NDEE will administer $1.2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds through rebates for private well reverse osmosis systems, whi...

Livestock Waste Control Program

Sunday, January 1, 2023

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), through the Livestock Waste Control (LWC) Program, is charged with protecting Nebraska’s surface water and groundwater from discharges of livestock waste from the thousands of Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) in Neb...

Reverse Osmosis Funding Available for Private Well Owners

Thursday, December 1, 2022

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has announced that funding will be available for private well owners to install RO systems to address high nitrate levels in drinking water. Information about the program requirements for eligibility can be found at the NDEE...

UNL study confirms irrigation's impact on humidity, yields possible link to rain

Monday, October 31, 2022

By: Nancy GaarderIncreased rain in Illinois and Indiana. Less rain in some Nebraska communities.Muggier weather. Changes in winds.Intense irrigation in Nebraska is having a complex effect on the weather, researchers at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln say“Some of th...

Another dry winter in Nebraska could mean irrigation restrictions next year

Monday, October 31, 2022

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — Severe weather, high winds and a lack of rainfall all worked against Nebraska’s farmers this summer.But the trouble started with much lower than average precipitation last winter.Nebraska’s water managers are keeping a close eye on the water leve...

83% of Nebraska kids have detectable lead levels, but unprecedented help is coming

Friday, October 28, 2022

By: Matt Chibe, Matthew MittliederLINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) — A recent study shows that more than half of all children in the United States have detectable lead levels in their blood, and Nebraska is even worse.According to research shared by the American J...

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Regional/National Water News

U.S. agricultural groups spell out their priorities in the next farm bill

08/02/2022

BY: ALLISON WINTER - AUGUST 2, 2022 7:31 PM Major U.S. agricultural production groups are pulling together their requests for the next farm bill — the massive legislation that Congress rewrites every five years to set farm and food policy — with crop insurance and disaster...Read more

Drought drops Platte River to one of its lowest levels in decade in Nebraska

07/30/2022

By: Nancy Gaarder Stunning images of a virtually dry Platte River near Columbus are yet another reminder of the grip that drought has had on the region. That stretch of river dropped this week to one of its lowest levels in about a decade, said Jeremy Gehle, water...Read more

The Perfect Storm: Now’s the Time to Safeguard Your Soil

05/16/2022

By JENNA HOFFMAN May 16, 2022 A dust storm rippled through the Midwest late last week, followed by rain in some parts and continued heat in others. The Great Plains is no stranger to this weather phenomenon, but producers up north are less familiar with it. Images of the...Read more

KGS report indicates 2021 drained Kansas groundwater levels

03/23/2022

By Sarah Motter LAWRENCE, Kan. (WIBW) - A new report from the Kansas Geological Survey , based at KU, found that groundwater levels have dropped by over a foot in western and central Kansas. The University of Kansas says preliminary data gathered by the Kansas Geological...Read more

Grasslands need protection now

03/13/2022

North America's grasslands are one of the most threatened ecosystems in the world. By Jacob Hanson The grade school textbooks in my rural, northern Minnesota classroom raised an issue that led to lunchroom table talk over a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Rainforests were...Read more

Farmers restore native grasslands as groundwater disappears

09/09/2021

To avoid Dust Bowl conditions, more farmers are restoring native grasslands in areas where the nation’s largest aquifer is drying up and rainfall is often scarce. By TAMMY WEBBER Associated Press MULESHOE, Texas (AP) — For decades, the Texas Panhandle was green with cotton...Read more

DROUGHT UPDATE: WEST COAST, MIDWEST WATER SUPPLIES DWINDLE

05/28/2021

Central Valley Farmers to Get No Allocation Farmers in California’s Central Valley Project will get none of their water allocations in 2021, according to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Urban areas served by the Central Valley Project will receive 25% of their contracted...Read more

Scientists propose irrigation improvements

05/26/2021

With threats of water scarcity complicating the need to feed a growing global population, it is more important than ever to get crop irrigation right. Overwatering can deplete local water supplies and lead to polluted runoff, while underwatering can lead to sub-optimal crop...Read more

Rising levels of nitrates still contaminating groundwater

03/15/2021

Nitrate levels in Nebraska’s groundwater are on the rise, especially in portions of Northeast Nebraska. The Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD) has analyzed the nitrate data gathered as part of the routine Groundwater Quality Sampling Program and found some...Read more

Report: Burst pipe at Mead ethanol plant leads to discharge of waste

02/18/2021

Chris Dunker A frozen pipe burst at the AltEn ethanol plant near Mead early Friday morning, causing waste to spill out of the property and onto a neighboring University of Nebraska-Lincoln research center site. Staff at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center,...Read more