Water News Archive

In 2023, the Nebraska Legislature passed LB1014.  This bill took 4 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act and allocated it to treating nitrate issues in Nebraska.  1.2 million dollars of that has been dedicated to a Reverse Osmosis Rebate Program that is directed at private well owners. The general idea of the program is that any individual private drinking water well owner can test their water AND if the nitrate concentration comes back above 10 ppm, they might be eligible for UP TO $4,000 support to get a reverse osmosis system to treat their nitrate.

Nebraska farmers and agronomists are set to present results of their 2022 on-farm research studies on cover crops, variable rate seeding, starter fertilizer, biological products, seed treatments, variable rate nitrogen management and more.

According to study from Department of Natural Resources researchers, irrigation pivots stained with rust may indicate the absence of nitrate in the groundwater supplying the pivots. This information can potentially be used to help screen for areas for the potential absence of nitrate and, in an ideal world, could indicate areas at higher- or lower-risk for nitrate contamination before it becomes a problem.

In this two-day course, NU experts will be discussing the latest research on soil fertility, precision ag for nitrogen management, cover crop effects on soil, soil carbon sequestration and more.

In addition to in-person and online training sessions, individuals can recertify their pesticide applicator licenses at five conferences in 2023, including Nebraska Extension's Crop Production Clinics beginning Jan. 4 across the state.

Soil erosion and subsequent sediment delivered to streams and lakes is a serious water quality problem in Nebraska. Sedimentation of small reservoirs reduced flood-holding capacity. High nutrient runoff can lead to harmful algal blooms.

New for 2023, certain county extension offices will host computer kiosks that private applicators can use to complete the program, and extension educators will be hosting Zoom training sessions.

Chemigation training is offered at face-to-face events and online through the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, at no cost to the individual.

There are several important changes to Nebraska's application certification/licensing program for 2023, including age requirements, identification information, aerial licensure and more.

In Nebraska, extreme winter weather can hit us quickly and hang around for extended periods of time. Long periods of cold can be hard on things, but what impact do they have on your septic system, private well/water system? Are there things one can do to minimize the impact?

Photo Credit: Craig Chandler | University Communication and Marketing A majority of respondents to the 2022 Nebraska Rural Poll indicated they were at least somewhat concerned about contaminants in their water supply that could impact their own or their family’s health. About 45% reported they had had their water tested for nitrates, E. coli, lead, pesticides or other contaminants.

Some crop growers have always removed crop residue for animal feed and bedding. Crop residue removal should be done in such a way that it benefits the grower without negatively impacting the health and productivity of the soil as well as the environment.

When we think of stormwater runoff we often think of rain. Snow melt during winter can also become stormwater runoff and carry pollutants to surface water. During winter the ground is usually frozen and melting snow cannot infiltrate into soil as a light rainfall will do. Depending on the amount of snow, this can lead to increased runoff during winter.

Small but mighty, weed seeds in manure can be problematic when they result in overgrown, weedy fields after manure application. Some manures can be a source of these troublesome weed seeds. But, luckily, there are some measures that can be taken to reduce the viability of those weed seeds.

Photo Credit: Becky Schuerman Odors that are comparable to that of rotten eggs are not ideal in your home or coming from your drinking water faucet. Sulfate, which is a combination of sulfur and oxygen, are naturally occurring minerals. They are found in some soil and rock formations where groundwater is stored. Bacteria that feed on sulfur can produce hydrogen sulfide gas which is the primary offender when it comes to odor. 

Chemigation is the practice of applying agrichemicals to cropland using an irrigation system to distribute both the water and chemical.

Precipitation continued the trend of a general lack of moisture during the first month of fall. Our monthly statewide total came in at 27th driest and makes for the 12th driest three-month (July–September) period on record. At the start of October, nearly all of Nebraska is in a drought category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Portions of the northeast and southwest are in exceptional drought (D4). Temperatures averaged above normal for September and quite a few new daily high temperature records were set, most in the triple digits. The October outlook doesn’t appear to have much relief in sight with a higher-than-average probability of the warmth and dryness to continue. Given the dryness, fire danger will be high particularly on windy days.

Fall frosts have ended the life cycle of many annual plants. In some cases, below-freezing temperatures have reduced insect numbers and finally ended the harvest challenges of extended green soybean stems and corn plants. Despite the cold nighttime temperatures, many crops are still growing. So, the question arises: “How much irrigation should be applied in late fall for perennial and winter annual crops like alfalfa, wheat, rye and triticale?”

Center pivots comprise three main components: the pump, power unit and pivot. Traditionally on leased cropland, the landowner owns the pump and pivot. Depending on the area of Nebraska and available energy sources, the power unit may be owned by the landowner or tenant. Ownership of the pump and pivot by the landowner creates greater flexibility for the management of the land when terminating the tenant or selling the property.

During our in-person events this summer, we had a lot of fun talking with kids of all ages about the diverse types of manure, how manure provides nutrients to growing crops, and how manure helps improve soil health and water quality. We hope that all the kids we talked to learned how much manure matters in Nebraska. We also asked our in-person participants to submit some of their own more artistic interpretations of how “Manure Matters in Nebraska” for a chance to win a fun prize.