Lower Loup NRD Highlights Gratitude for Natural Resources

Written by Alan Bartels, Lower Loup NRD Information & Education Coordinator, for the Loup Lines Column.

Loup Lines
Volume 47, No. 11
November 2026

Nebraskans can be thankful for the abundant natural resources found in our state. There are many, but in our largely agricultural area, of course water comes immediately to mind.

More than 500 miles of rivers and streams flow across the Lower Loup NRD and provide opportunities for surface irrigation, recreation, wildlife habitat, and a whole host of other beneficial uses. 

The Ogallala Aquifer underlies the entire Lower Loup NRD. Drought has been in the news a lot in recent years. Still, groundwater levels continue to rise in portions of the District. Yes, groundwater levels are down in some areas, but even during recent times of drought, our agricultural producers have had access to irrigation. We can be thankful for the responsible producers who never use more water than is needed, and the efforts of Nebraska’s 23 NRDs that work to protect our water resources. Also, we can be thankful and proud that the example set by Nebraskans is now having positive conservation impacts in states where stewardship and management of the aquifer has only come after precious reserves there were abused and taken for granted. 

Nebraska residents who live in villages, towns, and cities can be thankful that municipalities in Nebraska are required to test their water sources. As a result of contaminated wells, some communities have to use expensive methods to treat their water before their residents are able to use it. Other communities are left having to find cleaner water sources for new wells (also expensive) or arranging to obtain their water from another municipality (which is not always an option). 

Tens of thousands of rural Nebraskans get their drinking water from private domestic wells. Unfortunately, there is no requirement in Nebraska for private domestic wells to be tested for pollutants. Some private wells are contaminated with nitrates that can cause a myriad of illnesses. Nitrate contamination is a growing concern in the Lower Loup NRD and elsewhere in Nebraska and beyond. 

Applying more fertilizer than a crop can use puts our water resources at risk. So does over application of lawn chemicals, septic system and feedlot waste control failures, leaky engines and seepage from other automotive components, leaching from legal and illegal landfills, and industrial waste – to name just a few. Contaminants, impurities, and toxins all eventually end up in water.

All of us pitching in now to help protect our precious water resources will go a long way toward protecting the health of Nebraskans today and in the future. And when we are gone, if we’ve all done our very best to protect our natural resources, future generations will be thankful.

The staff, management, and the Board of Directors of the Lower Loup Natural Resources District are proud to work with the people of the District to continue the tradition of protecting and conserving our natural resources. We are thankful for that opportunity, and wish you and your family a happy and safe Thanksgiving.