The Nebraska Water Center with the Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District hosted the 49th Annual Water Tour in June, which featured discussions about water issues and projects in northeastern Nebraska. The Tour brought together industry experts to continue fostering a deeper understanding of water and its beneficial uses.
The Water Tour was first held in 1975. The tours are designed to enhance understanding and appreciation for water management in Nebraska and beyond, providing an educational experience for anyone interested in natural resource management.
“The 2023 Water Tour provided the perfect mix of education, recreation, and networking,” said Ann Briggs, Public Relations and Engagement Coordinator for the Nebraska Water Center. “The lessons learned about water management in northeast Nebraska were more powerful because we were able to experience the landscape and meet the people who work and live in this part of the state.”
The Tour included stops about riverfront development, nitrate and sedimentation issues, wildlife and fisheries efforts, demonstration farms, water-powered manufacturing processes, and more.
A Tour favorite was Lewis and Clark Lake. One attendee said, “the lake was very inspiring in regard to water management and sedimentation problems that they have as a water facility.”
The tour at Lewis and Clark Lake was sponsored by Nebraska Game and Parks. Attendees took a boat tour around the lake while guides discussed current issues the lake faces as well as the history of building the lake. Lewis and Clark Lake has faced several challenges since Spencer Dam broke in the 2019 flood. Since then, there has been an increase of sedimentation flowing from the Niobrara and Missouri Rivers. Nebraska Game and Parks is also combating invasive species in the lake while trying to increase wildlife populations in the lake.
Another attendee said they enjoyed listening to Nebraska Game and Parks explain their efforts of preserving the shoreline and encouraging plant growth in the lake.
Attendees also enjoyed the Bazile demonstration farm and presentation. The Bazile Groundwater Management Area works with Nebraska Extension and four local Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) to test how different farming and fertilization techniques affect the nitrate concentration in the groundwater. This partnership began in 2013 and continues as an educational program for stabilizing nitrate levels.
The stops that highlighted the work of extension were the best parts of the tour, and Bazile’s knowledge and passion was very helpful, an attendee said.
All the tour stops included necessary elements in showing the importance of water in production, recreation, power, manufacturing and insuring Nebraska wildlife will have healthy habitats in the future.
The Tour would not have been possible without our sponsors. Thank you to the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, HDR, JEO Consulting Group, Reinke Irrigation, Lower Elkhorn NRD and Upper Elkhorn NRD for sponsoring the 2023 Water and Natural Resources Tour.
Hosting the Tour each year is necessary to understand important water issues and projects happening throughout the state and encourage attendees to foster a deeper understanding of water and its many beneficial uses while training future water researchers.