The Middle Republican Natural Resources District is responsible
for the protection of the natural resources
and assists landowners in planning, funding,
and applying conservation practices.

Read about the Republican River Basin Settlement

Ground Water

The entire Middle Republican Natural Resources District is covered in the Ground Water Management Area, for water quantity, and a portion of the district is part of the Ground Water Quality Management Area. Both areas have specific rules and regulations.

Ground Water Quality | Ground Water Levels | Rules & Regulations

Ground Water Quality [return to top]

Ground water is one of Nebraska's most valued and precious natural resources, and it's protection is vital if the resource is to remain an asset.  Excessive nitrates in drinking water, often linked to irrigated row crop production, can endanger pregnant women, infants and folks with respiratory problems. Unfortunately, there are some areas of concern within the Middle Republican NRD that are presently being addressed by the Ground Water Quality Management Area (formerly known as the Red Willow/Hitchcock Counties Special Protection Area).  

The MRNRD is currently in Phase II of the plan.  Phase I was successfully completed in January 1997.                                                              

Goals

The primary goal of the GWQMA is to prevent the level of nitrate-nitrogen in the ground water from reaching the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminate level (MCL) of 10 mg per liter.

Secondary Goals are:

• to reduce nitrate/nitrogen contamination in the ground water by improving plant nutrient and water application management,
• to identify strategic sub-areas within the GWQMA where additional measures may be initiated to reduce nitrate/nitrogen levels, and
• to monitor ground water and soils within the GWQMA for presence of nitrate/nitrogen and other non-point source contaminants to determine trends and to provide data for future management.

Phase I Requirements

Phase I requirements will be implemented until January 1, 1997 assuming the average ground water nitrate/nitrogen level remains relatively constant and shows no major rises.  All operators within the GWQMA must attend nitrogen and irrigation management workshops.

Each operator is required to take soil samples annually at their expense on fields which livestock waste or commercial nitrogen fertilizer will be applied, from each farm within the GWQMA.  These fields will then be termed Phase I fields.

All ground water irrigated fields must have a water sample from the supplying well analyzed for level of nitrate/nitrogen prior to the 1994 crop year and every year thereafter.

Operators will be required to apply no more than the UN-L fertilizer recommendation for all Phase I fields beginning with the 1993 crop year.

Annual reporting for operators of the Phase I field is required beginning with the 1993 crop year and each year thereafter.  The reports will be mailed to operators and must be returned to the MRNRD prior to December 31 of the reporting year.

Phase II Requirements

This phase will be activated on January 1, 1997 unless conditions warrant implementation sooner.  If the average nitrate/nitrogen level reaches the MCL of 10 mg. per liter earlier than this date, Phase II may be initiated as early as January 1, 1995.  All requirements of Phase I will be continued.

All designated croplands within the GWQMA will be subject to soil sampling, fertilizer application recommendations and reporting requirements as described in Phase I controls for Phase I fields.  Irrigated cropland will also be required to have water samples taken and analyzed.

All fall applications of nitrogen fertilizers in designated strategic sub-areas is prohibited for spring planted crops unless inhibitors are used at approved rates.

Phase III Requirements

Phase III will be implemented if the average level of nitrate/nitrogen in the GWQMA exceeds the MCL 120% or exceeds 12 mg per liter.  Under no circumstances will Phase III be initiated before January 1, 1997.  All requirements of Phase II will continue.

Other Requirements

All fall applications of nitrogen fertilizer prior to March 1 will be prohibited on irrigated croplands.

Flow meters or other approved water measuring devices will be required to measure the amount of water applied to each irrigated field.  Phase I reports will be expanded to show inches of water applied to each irrigated field along with the recommended water application rate for the crop raised.

Split application rates or an inhibitor of commercial N fertilizer will be based on UN-L recommendations.

Strategic sub-areas will be considered for easements to protect public water supplies.  Final determinations on easements will be made by the MRNRD Board of Directors.

Ground Water Levels [return to top]

The Middle Republican NRD well observation program is designed to gather district-wide information on changes in ground water levels. Measurements are taken by district staff from privately owned irrigation wells located at various locations over the district, for which the owner has given their permission.

These measurements are taken in the fall and spring. Fall ground water levels show where the ground water levels are after irrigation season. In turn the spring measurements show if the levels have rebounded over the winter and also where the levels are before going into the next irrigation season.

This data becomes part of the basis for the yearly analysis of ground water levels used by us and many other agencies and interested parties involved in ground water research and management. The data and results of the analysis are published annually by the University of Nebraska in their Ground Water Levels in Nebraska Report, available from the UN-L Conservation and Survey Division.

The MRNRD maintains this well measurement data in our office. Below are the measurements and comparisons for Spring 2004 and Fall 2003.

Spring 2009 Measurements

Summary Comparison of Spring 2008 to Spring 2009 **All measurements are in feet

Spring 2006 Measurements

Summary Comparison of Spring 2005 to Spring 2006 **All measurements are in feet

Fall 2005 Measurements

Summary Comparison of Fall 2004 to Fall 2005 **All measurements are in feet

Spring 2005 Measurements

Summary Comparison of Spring 2004 to Spring 2005 **All measurements are in feet