Water News Archive

Currently most of southeast Nebraska is in the ‘Moderate Drought’ level on the drought monitor. As we move into the spring and summer we could see the drought continue and irrigation will be critical.

As planting is critical for everything else that happens during the growing season, the dry conditions have led to a variety of questions this planting season regarding soil conditions, planting depth, irrigation and herbicides.

Many Nebraska soils have high clay and silt content making them prone to compaction. Foot traffic from both human and pets, equipment and vehicles are all common causes of soil compaction. Look for the following as signs of potential soil compaction in your landscape.

The prices of synthetic fertilizers have increased significantly over the last year leaving growers and even homeowners facing the decision of finding alternative sources of nutrients. One great option is the use of manure or compost from a local farm or from your own operation. The use of manure in gardening can loosen compacted soil, increase carbon in the soil, and reduce surface runoff and leaching all while providing nutrients that your plants need. While this option is great, it is important to be aware of the potential carry over of herbicides in manure from grazing animals.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) has changed recommendations for crediting nitrogen following manure applications for field crops. New research has shown that most manures are similar changing the organic-nitrogen availability factors.

Join over 800 Nebraskans who are already exploring our water! This FREE Water Quality Testing program for plant nutrients (nitrate, nitrite, phosphate) is seeking volunteers to join the fourth year of testing surface and groundwater in Nebraska. Learn more and sign up by visiting go.unl.edu/wqcs

In the Nebraska Panhandle, Gary Stone is raining down knowledge for local growers looking for a little help. Find out what he's been up to out west in this installment of Digging into Extension.

A review of the history of irrigation in the Great Plains region from a geographical, technical and political perspective, as well as how it has impacted water resources.

Image shared from unwater.org Annually on this day, we bring special attention to the importance of groundwater & freshwater around the world. This year's theme focuses on "Groundwater: Making the invisible visible" to bring attention to this hidden water resource, that all too often goes unrecognized when sustainable policies are developed.

2022 Water Seminar series will highlight the significance that water holds in and around Nebraska and its ability to bring people from all walks of life together. The series is organized by The Nebraska Water Center, in partnership with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s School of Natural Resources.

Minimizing pesticide usage in the home garden is a great way to protect yourself from chemical exposure, while also protecting the environment and surface water resources. But pest control - insects, diseases and weeds - are challenging for the home organic vegetable gardener.  Today we’ll focus on techniques for insect and disease control. Gardeners using organic techniques may have to adjust their expectations at the outset and begin to accept a higher level of insect and disease damage in the garden.

A research paper by University of Nebraska–Lincoln scientists points to an innovative irrigation approach that offers promise to decrease water use while increasing producer profitability.

National Groundwater Awareness Week is March 6–12, making it the perfect time to talk about groundwater in Nebraska! What exactly is groundwater? It is the water below the earth’s surface that fills the interconnected voids and cracks in and around soil particles, sand, gravel and rock. Groundwater is the most abundant supply of freshwater in the world and is the water source that private drinking water, irrigation, livestock and many public water supply wells draw from.

When talking about manure's value, one needs to think about a variety of factors. Most folks think of fertilizer nutrients as manure’s primary value or MVP, but it takes more than one or two star players to make a great team. As such, manure wouldn't be as great as it is without other characteristics like the added organic matter that you get when applying manure, or the microbial community that is added to your field with that application.

Know Your Well project has been teaching high school students about sampling drinking water since 2017. Read these students' stories and the ongoing impact of this program.

The past 22 months have brought a tremendous burden to the U.S. and other countries around the globe due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  One of the unforeseen issues is the spillover effects that the supply chain problems and worker shortages have had on the lawn and landscape industries.  While this post is not intended to encourage hoarding of products along the lines of buying up all the toilet paper in sight, it is helpful to be aware of potential price increases and product shortages at the garden center in 2022.