NU Involved in Variety of Water-Related Research
University of Nebraska faculty are collaborating with others nationwide to help solve problems related to water quality and quantity, and further basic knowledge about water.
More than 50 NU departments are involved in water-related research and service. A few highlights of NU water-related projects are outlined below.
Turfgrass Research
NU faculty have been tracing the fate of pesticides in turfgrass to reduce the potential for contamination, optimize application of pesticides and use water more efficiently. Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) researchers also are developing turfgrass varieties that are drought resistant, use less water and require less chemical input.
Research and Extension Centers
Faculty and staff at five NU research and extension centers engage in a variety of water-related studies ranging from determining environmentally sound guidelines for irrigation with swine wastewater to experiments with irrigation techniques, crop rotation and fertilizer and pesticide applications.
Conservation and Survey Division
NU Conservation and Survey Division projects address the relationships between groundwater and surface water. Projects focus on different environments such as the Western or Alkali Lakes region, the Dismal River and Lower Platte River systems, the University Lakes area and the Sandhills wet meadows.
Water Center/Environmental Programs
This IANR unit funds a six-member water quality research team and sponsors water-related research.
Team members update models of groundwater flow and contaminant transport to the aquifer, evaluate how buffer strips along stream sides affect water quality and look at the effects of agricultural chemicals in stream ecosystems. They work on methods to clean up groundwater contamination, generate recommendations for reducing and preventing water contamination and study pest organisms and pesticides. The NU Water Sciences Laboratory, directed by Roy Spalding, is part of the Water Center/Environmental Programs. It provides state-of-the art instrumentation to measure chemicals in the soil and water.
