Groundwater

Sierra Madre Mountain Range Snowpack
The Sierra Madre Mountain Range Snowpack in 2016. (Photo by Gary Stone)

The North Platte River — Multi-use Water, Part 4

August 3, 2022
In this installment of the series, Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone reviews the history of the Kortes Unit, which was part of a program that managed water use for the entire Missouri River Basin.

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Seminoe dam
Figure 1. Seminoe dam and reservoir were built in the 1930s, specifically to provide hydropower generation.

The North Platte River — Multi-use Water, Part 3

July 19, 2022
In this installment of the series, Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone reviews the history of the Kendrick Project, which resulted in the Seminoe and Alcova dams.

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Grasshopper
With conditions remaining dry this summer, if the grasshopper population in an established field is higher than five hoppers per square yard throughout the field or 15 hoppers per square yard in field margins, insecticides should be considered.

Pasture and Forage Minute: Grasshopper Control, Safe Grazing Guidelines And Blue-green Algae Poisoning

July 13, 2022
Tips for effective control of grasshoppers in alfalfa, prussic acid poisoning from summer annual forages and blue-green algae in livestock water.

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Pathfinder Dam spillway
Figure 1. The Pathfinder Dam spillway overflow when there was an excess of water.

The North Platte River — Multi-use Water, Part 2

July 7, 2022
The second article in Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone's six-part series on the North Platte River features history on the Pathfinder, Guernsey and Whalen dams.

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Wyoming mountain snowpack

The North Platte River — Multi-use Water, Part 1

June 30, 2022
The first of a six-part series focused on the dams, reservoirs, power generation and some diversion dams located on the North Platte River.

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Soil water sensor
Figure 1. Early installation of sensors helps to minimize root and leaf damage and makes it easy to get around the field with the pickup or ATV to install the equipment.

Study Reviews Farmer Irrigation Scheduling Tendencies in Central Nebraska

June 15, 2022
While a recent study revealed that irrigators tend to overwater on wetter years, extension experts recommend data-driven decisions for optimizing yields, saving water and lowering cost of production.  

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Sprinkler system
USDA/Flickr

Webinar to Explore Sustainable Groundwater Management

May 26, 2022
This webinar will review California's 2015 groundwater legislation, highlighting features that may be applicable improvements in Nebraska.

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Irrigation systems aerial view
Figure 1. Center pivot irrigation systems dot the landscape along the South Platte River. On the North Platte River, Lake McConaughy reservoir stores water which is later used for irrigation. (Photo credit: Google Earth)

New Article Traces Aspects of the History of Irrigation in the Great Plains and Water Productivity

March 23, 2022
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.

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