News

News

Reception to honor departing board members

Reception to honor departing board members

Local public service roles are generally not glamorous. They come with their share of headaches, including late nights, grumpy constituents, and lots of reading and meetings to understand the issues. The reward for all the hours and labor is hard to quantify. For members of the board of directors of a natural resources district, the return on...Read More

​New Faces at the Upper Big Blue NRD

​New Faces at the Upper Big Blue NRD


Amanda McLeod joined the NRD in October as a water data assistant. She is a recent graduate of the University of Nebraska Lincoln, where she completed a bachelor’s degree in natural...Read More

Nitrates in Groundwater Management Zones Continue Upward Trend

Nitrates in Groundwater Management Zones Continue Upward Trend

Summer sampling of monitoring wells across the district show that groundwater nitrate levels continued to increase in some parts of the district over the past year. While no zone has moved into a new phase of management this year, Zone 4 is close to moving into Phase II management and Zone 1 is approaching the threshold to move to Phase III...Read More

Water Use Reporting for Storm Damaged Fields

Water Use Reporting for Storm Damaged Fields

Our district was largely impacted by damaging storms this growing season. As a result, operators may have wells with little to no water use, or changed their method of irrigation on some fields (i.e., had pivots down so laid out pipe). 

While a properly functioning meter is required on all wells, we realize some meters may have...Read More

Groundwater Quality Sampling Schedule

Groundwater Quality Sampling Schedule

The Upper Big Blue NRD is divided into 12 groundwater quality Management Zones. The median nitrate value for that zone determines the phase of management and therefore, rules and regulations. 

Taking a step back, the median nitrate value for a zone is the product of water samples collected from a specific network of wells. These...Read More

Lake Hastings Restoration Planning Underway

Lake Hastings Restoration Planning Underway

Lake Hastings straddles the boundary between the Upper Big Blue and Little Blue NRDs and presents a unique opportunity for the entities to join forces with the City of Hastings to improve both urban and agricultural land that drains into the lake. A critical four-square mile sub-watershed has been identified between Hastings NW Dam and Lake...Read More

Cover Crops for Weed Suppression

Cover Crops for Weed Suppression

One important benefit of cover crops is that they can provide another option in controlling weed populations--especially weeds that can resist herbicides. 

Weeds that have evolved characteristics that make them very difficult to control are on the uprise, and Palmer Amaranth (pigweed family) is at the top of the list. Palmer...Read More

Vadose Zone Study Continues

Vadose Zone Study Continues

The Upper Big Blue NRD has partnered with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to take part in a research study focusing on investigating the vadose zone. The vadose zone is the area beneath the root zone and above the groundwater table. It is also referred to as the unsaturated zone. The focus of the study will be to look at...Read More

Incentive Program Expanded: Additional Payments For Producers in Water Quality Target Areas

Incentive Program Expanded: Additional Payments For Producers in Water Quality Target Areas

The Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District offers an incentive program for producers in portions of the Recharge Lake Watershed, the Beaver Creek Watershed, and some municipal Wellhead Protection Areas. Practices included in this program are cover crops, buffer/filter strips, and land treatment practices. The area covered by these programs has...Read More

Water Quality Test Kits and RO System Funding Available

Water Quality Test Kits and RO System Funding Available

If your home’s water comes from a private well in Nebraska, you may have elevated levels of common nutrients found in agricultural fertilizers in your drinking water. Consuming water with elevated levels of nitrate-nitrogen can have significant health risks. Annual testing of your water is an...Read More

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