Water News Archive

Pesticide Drift Reduction & Prevention

Pesticide drift occurs when pesticides are transferred in air away from the intended application site into adjacent areas. Pesticides can move as spray droplets, vapor drift, or solid particle drift.

Frequently Asked Questions about Watersheds

What is a watershed? A watershed is an area of land that drains to a common waterway, such as a stream, lake, estuary, wetland, or, ultimately, the ocean. Do I live in a watershed? Yes, everyone lives in a watershed. How can I find out my watershed address? Go to the EPA web page Surf Your Watershed What are water quality protection practices or best management practices?

What is Toxic Blue-green Algae?

Author: Tadd M Barrow, formerly Water Quality Extension Educator, School of Natural Resources NOTE: The Volunteering Monitoring Program referred to on slide 11 below (Flash application) has been discontinued, and Tadd Barrow is no longer with the University. Private lake testing is at the discretion and expense of the owner.

Small AFO VTS Demonstrations

The Animal Feeding Operation, also called the Livestock Producer Environmental Assistance Project (LPEAP), provides financial and technical assistance to small livestock producers who are concerned about protecting water quality and preserving the environment, but are exempt from current regulatory requirements. The project purpose is to construct on-farm demonstration sites that minimize environmental risk using new concepts and alternative technologies. All demonstration projects are available for viewing by all producers.

Building Soils

Water should never be applied at a rate faster than it can be absorbed by the soil. Soil properties that govern water infiltration (movement of water into the soil) are texture and structure.

Integrated Pest Management

Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, is a long-standing, science-based, decision-making process that identifies and reduces risks from pests and pesticides. It coordinates the use of pest biology, environmental information and available technology to prevent unacceptable levels of pest damage by the most economical means, while posing the least possible risk to people, property, resources and the environment. IPM provides an effective strategy for managing pests in all areas from developed residential and public areas to crop and wild lands.

Agricultural Irrigation & Water Quality

Map illustrating concentrations of nitrate-nitrogen across the state

Research has shown that concentrations of nitrate - nitrogen have accumulated in the groundwater beneath areas where irrigation is intense and where the soils are permeable allowing for leaching of nitrogen fertilizer. Leaching is most severe for surface irrigation systems used to irrigate sandy soils. The Platte River Valley and Eastern Sandhills have been most severely affected.

Contact the Manure Team

Design Videos for Small AFOs

Screenshot from one of the Design Videos

Watch this series of six videos for information on planning a Vegetative Treatment System on a small AFO.

Graywater Use in Nebraska

With the forecast of another dry year, more people are inquiring about reusing their graywater to water their plants or lawn with. It is not legal in Nebraska to discharge untreated graywater. Wastewater in Nebraska is comprised of graywater and blackwater. Graywater is defined in Nebraska Onsite Wastewater Regulations as water that has been used for bathing, laundering clothes, and sink waste that is not kitchen sink waste. Blackwater is water that carries off waste from toilets, urinals, and kitchen sinks.

Yield Goal Development

Setting a Realistic Corn Yield Goal Nebguide Discusses how to set a realistic corn yield goal by acknowledging climatic yield limitations of corn in Nebraska and the yield history in a field.

Order CD/DVD Set

Order the Water Optimizer CD/DVD set for $7.00. The CD/DVD set contains material not available for download: background information, applications, examples and research results for the Water Optimizer program.

Evaluating Soil Health

Soil health is defined as the continued capacity of the soil to function as a vital living ecosystem that sustains plants, animals, and humans. Typically, soil health includes three types of soil characteristics: biological, physical, and chemical. Although sometimes used interchangeably, soil quality generally refers to soil chemical and physical properties.

Feed Management Practices that Affect Animal Manures

Excess nutrients in livestock feed all end up in manure because animals cannot utilize them. What you feed your livestock makes a big difference in the composition of the manure output. Feed management practices that not only meet animal requirements but minimize the amount of excess nutrients in manure help reduce risk of water contamination problems. Knowing the requirements of the animal you are feeding can improve your ability to feed the animal the correct amount of nutrients.

Variety Selection & Tests

EC197, Using Winter Wheat Yield Data to Improve Variety Selection PDF only (224 KB; 8 pages) This extension circular describes a method for comparing and selecting various wheat varieties.

Crop Water Use (Evapotranspiration)

The evapotranspiration (ET) process is a key variable in many disciplines including irrigation management, crop growth, hydrologic cycle, plant physiology, soil-plant-water-atmosphere relationships, microclimate and surface interactions, and drainage studies.

Estimating Manure N App Rates

Manure nitrogen application rates must be estimated annually based upon the most recently available information for manure nutrient concentration (manure sample) and the estimate of crop nutrient needs. Since this information is not typically available at the time of a permit application, estimating manure nitrogen application rates as part of a permit is, at best, an educated guess made without essential information. However, the underlying principles and assumptions that will be used to estimate manure nitrogen application rates can be defined in a permit application.

Stormwater Education for Kids

The stormwater activity sheets below can be downloaded and used with the Stormwater Sleuth comic book or on their own. They are designed for students from 4th - 6th grades, but may be appropriate for other ages as well.

Troubleshooting

Problems sometimes occur. Lagoon depth may fall below 2-foot minimum due to leak in artificial liner, clogged inlet pipe, low flow rate into lagoon, holes in dike from plant roots or burrowing animals, not enough clay in natural soil liner or not compacted.

Irrigation Management Publications from Nebraska Extension

Harvesting Crop Residues, NebGuide G1846 Issues of crop residue harvest, including nutrient removal and effects on erosion, soil quality, water loss, and yield are discussed in this NebGuide.