Read the Ground Water Rules & Regulations

Water Allocation Tools

The following tools were not created by the Middle Republican Natural Resources District. Descriptions of each product were provided by the creating organization.

Ag Water Budget

The Ag Water Budget spreadsheet model developed in the spirit of helping our fellow agriculturalists adapt to irrigation water allocations by budgeting their water resource and developing strategies that maximize profitability. The model was designed to be user-friendly with users entering their data and assumptions to calculate the most profitable utilization of their water resource. User defined scenarios can be saved for later review and revision. This model was developed by Bruce Dodson of AgriAffiliates.

Water Optimizer

The Water Optimizer tool was developed in response to several years of drought across the state and to farmers facing water restrictions in the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Republican River Basin. It is a toold for analyzing alternative water management strategies when the available water supply is limited.

This tool evaluates single fields for several crop options. Irrigated crops include: corn, soybeans, sorghum, wheat, alfalfa, edible beans and sunflowers. Dryland crops include: corn, soybeans, sorghum, sunflowers, alfalfa and wheat in continuous, summer fallow and eco-fallow rotations.

The tool allows users to input information into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, including soil type and irrigation system options. Irrigation options include center pivot or gravity irrigation systems, well or canal delivery, and systems powered by electricity, diesel or natural gas. After entering this basic information, producers enter their production costs, irrigation costs, crop prices, crop type and available water. After these parameters have been set, the program calculates what crops will be most profitable with the given costs and available water.

The Water Optimizer tool was developed by Derrel Martin, Ray Supalla and Scott Nedved, Departments of Biological Systems Engineering and Agricultural Economics at the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at UNL.

Obtaining the Water Optimizer Program

Downloads and new updates of Water Optimizer can be found at: http://extension-water.unl.edu / or http://webvideo.unl.edu

To order a copy of Water Optimizer by mail, contact Betty Castan via e-mail, bcastan1@unl.edu or by phone, 800-755-7765. Your order will include Water Optimizer on a CD-ROM and a DVD containing background information, applications, examples, and research results from the Water Optimizer program. Information on the DVD is not available as a download. The CD-ROM and DVD order will cost $7.00. Credit card and check payments are accepted. Credit card information will be taken by telephone. Payments made by check are payable to the University of Nebrasska and should be sent to:

Electronic Media
University of Nebraska - CIT
PO Box 830918
Lincoln, NE 68583-0918