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Setting The Record Straight: Vague Article Misrepresents Nebraska

Setting The Record Straight: Vague Article Misrepresents Nebraska

11/15/2017

Setting the Record Straight:

State-specific info paints a much different picture than a story making its way on a variety of media outlet websites, which makes a lot of generalizations. During some recent time-frames, Nebraska has been shown to have about the same amount of water in storage in the Ogallala Aquifer than before irrigation development began. The study that was the basis of this story is done regularly and previously showed that from the time before groundwater irrigation began until 2011, groundwater levels in Nebraska on average rose .2' and there was 1.2 million acre feet more water in the Ogallala underlying Nebraska than before groundwater irrigation began.

The more current study that is the basis of this story mentions an overall depletion of 10.7 million acre feet from 2013-2015. Of that amount, less than 3% occurred in Nebraska despite the state having more irrigated acres than any other state in the nation. The average decline in Nebraska during that time period was 0' compared to the average decline across the eight Ogallala states of -.6'.

Since the time before irrigation development began to 2015, the average groundwater decline in Nebraska has been 6 inches. Recent history has shown that a couple of wet years can change that to a no-change status of groundwater levels to possibly higher levels than pre-irrigation. 

Comparatively, the average decline across the eight Ogallala states since pre-irrigation has been about 16'.

Nebraska's NRDs work hard to sustain groundwater levels through a variety of conservation methods and projects. Go to www.nrdnet.org for more information on the Natural Resources Districts.