Water News Archive

This is the second in a six-part series of articles covering basic water law in the United States, predominately in the western part of the country, and how it affects this finite resource. Water law has a long history. It can be traced back to Roman times and also has roots in English common law. Across the United States, it varies from state to state, and from East to West. When conflicts arise the courts usually determine the outcome, unless there are state or federal laws or previous case studies to resolve the issue. Exceptions to the law can arise from differences in each state’s water laws.

This the first in a six-part series of articles covering basic water law in the United States, predominately in the western part of the country, and how it affects this finite resource.

The lawn fertilization season is just around the corner. For a healthy turf and to help protect water resources, following the traditional four step program may not be the best route to go. A well-managed turf holds soil in place and acts as a filter for potential water pollutants. However, fertilizing more than is needed, at the wrong time of the season, or misapplying fertilizer can result in nutrient runoff with the potential to degrade water resources.

Manure produced in animal feeding operations is a source of fertilizer that can be used to reduce our dependency on commercial fertilizers. Manure contains several essential nutrients that crops that crops rely on to grow, most notably nitrogen and phosphorus. Proper management of manure before, during, and after land application helps to slow down the contamination of our streams and reservoirs.

The UNL manure team has been working on building an app to connect the public to the manure people they need, and maybe learn a little bit about manure along the way. Our goal with the app is to enable folks to find a manure applicator, broker, advisor, or resource person in their area. We’ve been testing and updating, and we think it’s ready for its full debut! The app is available for both Android and Apple devices.

Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) is a problem currently within public surface water bodies and will continue to challenge animal agriculture. AMR can impair our ability to use antibiotics to fight infections and other ailments. Antimicrobials make their way to our water primarily by ways of industrial waste, manure application, and aquaculture. Using responsible manure spreading practices, runoff prevention, spreading awareness, and partnering with your veterinarian for responsibly using antimicrobials can help aid in the solution.

Caption:  A simple overview of how the water softening process works. As hard water enters the water softener, it filters through a resin that is supersaturated with a sodium (Na) brine. The calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) in the hard water attach to the resin beads and are exchanged for sodium (Na), thus making soft water for use throughout the home. Over time, the exchange resin becomes saturated with Ca and Mg and has to be regenerated with the Na brine solution so an effective water softening process can continue. (Graphic by Nebraska Extension)

Rain gardens have been a landscape feature for a while now. This has helped us determine which plants are proving to do well in the bottom of rain gardens. Rain gardens are shallow depressions located where they collect rainwater from a slope or downspout. Their purpose is to make the most of rainfall when received by soaking it in and reducing the amount of runoff during rain storms.

Supplemental protein has historically been the most expensive component in beef cattle diets. However, over the past 20 years with the rapid expansion of ethanol production and distillers grains supply, rations have changed.

The Pesticide Safety Education Program’s (PSEP) primary goal is always to deliver quality training to Nebraska’s current and prospective applicators. Most agree that the best way to accomplish that is through conventional, in-person training sessions. For that reason, Nebraska Extension intends to host in-person training for both private and commercial/noncommercial applicators in 2021 while adhering to local and state health guidelines. This includes training for recertifying applicators and for people getting licensed for the first time (“initial” training). Most, if not all, training sites are expected to operate at reduced capacity during the training season. This will allow meetings to continue under state and local health guidelines, but will also mean space for participants will be limited. Some counties may schedule more meetings to accommodate for reduced capacities. Online training for private applicators is also available.

Join us on March 5, 2021 for the Nebraska Virtual Green Infrastructure Tour!  We will re-visit communities across Nebraska to higlight green infrastructure projects and programs, both large and small.

It’s cold outside these days and our trees are still alive, they are just dormant. And even a dormant tree, still needs care during the winter months.

Current manure application practices have little to no precision application capabilities compared to other modern agricultural equipment. Due to some recent emerging technologies being released on the market, manure application is finally joining the digital age. This article summarizes these new precision manure application technologies.

The Animal Manure Management team has opted to change the format of live Land Application Training events this year. In February and March, the team will host a series of three1.5-hour long zoom sessions that will serve as the first portion of initial land application training. Recertification training and the last segment of initial training will be held at a later date, hopefully in-person. Anyone is welcome to participate in the zoom sessions, but participation at each session will be limited to keep them interactive and informative.

During winter, dry landscape plants that are not covered by snow or moistened by winter moisture could pose a potential fire hazard. This is especially true following dry summers and falls. The dry tops of ornamental grasses left over winter. Dead conifers killed by insects or diseases. Dry tree leaves accumulating in yard corners and more. These could all become tinder and fuel for a carelessly discarded cigarette or possibly an electrical short.

Most plants are energized and invigorated by a summer outdoors. Even delicate plants like ferns have a growth spurt if placed in a shaded location and watered properly. While outside, houseplants require large amounts of water due to increased light levels, heat and wind evaporation.

The Nebraska Department of Agriculture has released a new feature article on the manure industry in Nebraska. In the article, which is part two of a two-part series, the author highlights the fact that manure is nature's recycling program from the perspectives of crop and animal farmers.

The Upper North Platte River watershed headwaters is located in north-central Colorado, close to Walden, CO. The Sierra Madre mountain range is on the west side of the headwaters and the Snowy Range mountain range is on the east side. Snowmelt from both of these mountain ranges together contribute approximately 75 percent of the water flow in the North Platte River. The fires’ effect on water supplies in the coming years will depend on the amount of snow fall and snowpack received in the watershed during the winter and early spring. There may be slightly higher incidences of sediment runoff in isolated areas where there is little or no ground cover due to the fire.