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NRD News and Events

USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program General Signup for 2024

Monday, March 4, 2024

LINCOLN, Nebraska, March 4, 2024 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that agricultural producers and private landowners can begin signing up for the general Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) starting March 4 and running through March 29, 2024. This conse...

NRDs Taking Orders for Spring Conservation Tree Plantings

Tuesday, February 6, 2024

Conservation Tree Windbreaks Provide Critical Livestock ProtectionLINCOLN, Nebraska – Nebraska's Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) are actively taking orders for conservation tree seedlings, and the deadline to order is fast approaching. Secure your favorite species and m...

NDEE extends deadline to request free nitrate sample kits

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) is extending the deadline for Nebraskans to request a free nitrate sample kit and lab analysis.Sample kits can now be requested through March 1, 2024, or until funds are expended. The free nitrat...

NRCS and NRDs Continue Successful Partnership on Dam Assessments

Thursday, January 25, 2024

LINCOLN, Nebraska – To ensure water infrastructure safety, Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) and other sponsors continue a strong partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) on several dam assessments...

Scholarships offered for college students in natural resources field

Thursday, January 18, 2024

GRAND ISLAND — Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) is accepting applications for the CPNRD-Ron Bishop Memorial College Scholarship Program.Applicants must be a college junior, senior or graduate student enrolled in a natural resources course of study at an ac...

Public Can Participate in Jan. 9 Board Meeting Online

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

The URNRD Board of Directors meeting at 9 a.m. on Jan. 9 will be held via virtual conferencing and can also be attended in-person at the URNRD office in Imperial, 511 East 5th Street. A web link that provides virtual access to the meeting will be provided on this website's m...

URNRD Launches 2024 Probe Cost Share Program

Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Applications to receive cost share for soil-moisture probes used in 2024 are now being accepted by the Upper Republican NRD. Under the program, irrigators in Perkins, Dundy and Chase Counties are reimbursed for half the cost of up to three soil-moisture probes.Use of soil-mo...

NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING REGARDING THE REPUBLICAN RIVER BASIN-WIDE PLAN

Monday, November 6, 2023

JOINTLY DEVELOPED BY THE REPUBLICAN RIVER NATURAL RESOURCES DISTRICTS AND THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.The Upper Republican Natural Resources District (NRD), Middle Republican NRD, Lower Republican NRD, Tri-Basin NRD, and the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources (...

Water use allocations make sense for Nebraska’s future generations

Saturday, October 21, 2023

Isn’t Nebraska something? Whether you were born and bred here, or were lucky enough to move into the area, you learn pretty fast that there’s a lot to love about the Cornhusker State. Two of the things that make our state special are our abundance of natural resources an...

Deadline approaching for Natural Resource Conservation Funds

Saturday, October 7, 2023

LINCOLN — Farmers and ranchers interested in preventing erosion, improving soil health, conserving water and wildlife or making other natural resource conservation improvements to their property may apply for funding available from the U.S. Department of Agriculture N...

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Regional/National Water News

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

More Farmers Are Planting Cover Crops Thanks To State Incentive Programs

02/10/2021

By DANA CRONIN • JAN 29, 2021 Last month, the Illinois Department of Agriculture opened applications for its second annual Fall Covers for Spring Savings Program -- which provides a crop insurance discount for each acre of cover crop a farmer plants. It filled up in less...Read more

Research shows grazing cover crops can add economic value

01/18/2021

By KAY LEDBETTER Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Growing dual-purpose wheat for both grazing and grain production is an important agricultural practice in the Southern Great Plains. But of late, more Texas Rolling Plains producers want to know if alternative systems to...Read more

Contract approved for flood mitigation evaluation

12/25/2020

Melanie Wilkinson YORK – The York City Council has agreed to enter into a contract with JEO Consulting Group which will now do a flood mitigation evaluation for the city. This goal of the study is to eventually reduce the size and number of flood plain designations in the...Read more

California Water Futures Begin Trading Amid Fear of Scarcity

12/06/2020

Water joined gold, oil and other commodities traded on Wall Street, highlighting worries that the life-sustaining natural resource may become scarce across more of the world. Farmers, hedge funds and municipalities alike are now able to hedge against -- or bet on -- future...Read more

U.S. agricultural water use declining for most crops and livestock production

11/16/2020

By Marianne Stein URBANA, Ill. – Climate change and a growing world population require efficient use of natural resources. Water is a crucial component in food production, and water management strategies are needed to support worldwide changes in food consumption and...Read more

Ogallala Aquifer’s shallowness has meant growers have to adjust

07/25/2020

Editor's Note The following is excerpted notes from Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Director of Communications Bob Kjelland who visited with Timothy Pautler, a third-generation family farmer and irrigator who lives at Stratton, Colorado, and serves on multiple boards and he...Read more