Nebraska Water Center Mission Statement

Ballard Marsh
Ballard Marsh, near Valentine, NE

The Nebraska Water Center, established by Congress in 1964, focuses on helping the University of Nebraska become an international leader in water research, teaching, extension and outreach by facilitating programs that will result in UNL becoming a premiere institution in the study of agricultural and domestic water use. After nearly 50 years, its fundamental goals have not changed. The Water Center helps arrange research addressing water problems or understanding of water; helps new water researchers; trains future water researchers and engineers; and publishes water research results to water professionals and the public through publications, research colloquiums and conferences, lectures and tours. It is part of the Daugherty Water for Food Institute and part of NU's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR).

Who We Are

  • Part of a national network of Water Resources Research Institutes serving Nebraskans and the Nation.
  • Supported by state, local and federal funding, as well as through partnerships with NGOs and industry.
Nebraska Water Center Goals

The overall aim of the Nebraska Water Center and allied initiatives is to:

Position the University of Nebraska to become the key resource in teaching, research, and extension education in water sciences, water management, and water law/policy to serve Nebraska, and to become recognized as a national and international leader in these areas.

Specific goals include:

  • To develop, facilitate, and implement research, teaching, and outreach/education programs in water science, law and policy.
  • To expand the financial resource base for UNL water programs from private and governmental sources through aggressive grantsmanship.
  • To establish and maintain collaborative linkages with state and federal agencies, industry, producers, and other water resource managers.

The Nebraska Water Center began operating at UNL in 1964 as part of a federally established network of 55 water resources programs at land-grant universities. The UNL Water Sciences Laboratory, a world-class, state-of-the-art water research core facility, is also part of the UNL Nebraska Water Center. It provides highly trained faculty and staff and the latest in instrumentation for measuring chemicals in water, specializing in trace organics.

 Nebraska Sandhills

Rain showers, Nebraska Sandhills