Water News Archive

Thursday, October 6, 2022

TAPS Irrigation Season Comes to End Amid Drought

Irrigation decisions in the Testing Ag Performance Solutions (TAPS) farm management competitions ranged widely this year, even amid a drought throughout the region. According to rainfall gauges located near the TAPS fields, 8.92 inches of rainfall was collected from May 1 to Sept. 30, 2022. The following is a brief summary of the irrigation decisions made in each competition this year.

Thursday, October 6, 2022

Using Broadcast Interseeding of Cover Crops as a Tool for Water Quality Improvements

Cover crops are a proven method for increasing soil health by reducing soil erosion, increasing soil organic matter, and improving soil structure. Cover crops also have the potential to positively impact water quality by reducing nitrate leaching and nutrient runoff. While cover crops are growing in popularity in Nebraska, there are significant planting challenges. To address these challenges, interseeding has been proposed as an alternative planting method to increase cover crop success.

Monday, October 3, 2022

Not All Manure is Created Equal

visual representation of various manures' nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents compared to volume of organic matter and water.

Chicken, Beef, Swine and Dairy are all manures. All are valuable, but are they equal? Absolutely not. I could rank them by smell, another by their nutrient content, another by proximity to them, and yet someone else could separate them for their ability to influence soil health charateristics. This article will discuss a little about the different kinds of manure and explain why not all of this valuable product is created equal.

Thursday, September 29, 2022

Using a Cornstalk Nitrate Test to Evaluate Nitrogen Management Decisions

At the end of the season, a nitrate test can help determine whether the crop was under-, adequately or over-fertilized with nitrogen, resulting in the potential to significantly reduce input costs.

Wednesday, September 28, 2022

Another Dry Year: What to Know About Leftover Nitrogen in Soil Following Dry Conditions

departure from normal precipitation 2022

With the two consecutive dry seasons in 2021 and 2022, there is likely a considerable amount of unused nitrogen left in the soil, which could be used for the 2023 crop. With the higher fertilizer prices, such fertility adjustments for next crop can be profitable as well as environment friendly. So, it is recommended to test your soil and account for all sources of nutrients for the next crop.

Thursday, September 22, 2022

Drought and Fall Irrigation

Currently, most of the state is in at least a moderate drought, with many areas affected by severe, extreme, and even exceptional drought conditions. The Farmer’s almanac is calling for a cold, dry winter, again, so moving into that with drought conditions already could be devastating to our plants.

Wednesday, September 14, 2022

Join us for the Platte River Basin Conference

The 2022 Platte River Basin Conference and 3rd Playa Research Symposium will be held Monday, October 24th to Thursday, October 27th at the Younes Conference Center in Kearney, Nebraska. Join leaders from Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and beyond to discuss the interrelated perspectives needed to create vibrant, resilient solutions for the future of the people and wildlife who depend on the Platte River Basin.

Conference topics include:

Monday, August 29, 2022

Scheduling the Last Few Irrigations of the Season

Factors such as the amount of water a soil can hold, the amount of water a crop will use until it reaches maturity, and the maximum allowable soil water depletion should be considered when deciding the last few irrigations of the season.

Monday, August 29, 2022

Lagoon Water Levels - Onsite Wastewater Question of the Month – August 2022

Do you have questions about your private drinking water supply? How about wellhead protection, including the management of your private sewage treatment system? Send your questions by clicking on the ‘Email Us’ feature in the lower right corner on this web page. Questions will be addressed by Nebraska Statewide Extension Associate for Domestic Water & Wastewater, Becky Schuerman and/or other Extension Water Team Staff.

Friday, August 26, 2022

The North Platte River — Multi-use Water, Part 5

The Glendo powerplant — a part of the Pick-Sloan Missouri Basin Program that controls water use for the entire basin — supplies power to Nebraska, Colorado and Wyoming. (Photo by Gary Stone)

Part 5 of a six-part series on the dams, reservoirs, power generation and some diversion dams located on the North Platte River. The series will follow a chronological order of the history and construction of these projects.