Each year, the Nebraska Water Center provides grant funding for research through the U.S. Geologic Survey’s 104b program. 104b awards are geared towards early-career faculty who are conducting research in Nebraska that has unique applications both within and outside of the state. In 2024, a total of $75,249.00 was awarded.
Awards were granted to the following four projects:
Grassroots Conservation: Engaging Communities in WaterSmart Lawn Care Practices. PI Wei-zhen Liang and co-PI Xin Qiao. $19,374
The "Grassroots Conservation" project addresses the critical issue of water overuse in residential lawn care, particularly in areas prone to drought. This initiative, centered in Nebraska, aims to develop and deploy an affordable, automatic soil moisture sensing (SMS) system coupled with a comprehensive website platform for real-time soil moisture monitoring. The project seeks to provide continuous data on soil moisture levels to encourage water-smart lawn maintenance. Objectives include assessing technology adoption behaviors among homeowners, promoting sustainable lawn care practices through educational workshops, and involving University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) and Western Nebraska Community College (WNCC) students in experiential learning opportunities. Expected outcomes encompass enhanced water conservation, STEM education integration, and groundwork for future initiatives in sustainable water use. This multifaceted approach aims not only to improve immediate water management practices but also to educate a generation equipped to address the challenges of sustainable water usage, with deliverables including scholarly publications and foundational foundation for future proposal development, e.g., Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) and NSF-ExLENT.
Monitoring Monthly Groundwater Level Variation in the Nebraska Sandhills using Remote Sensing. PI Nawaraj Shrestha, co-PIs Troy Gilmore, Aaron Mittelstet, Aaron Young, and R.M. Joeckel. $14,716
Variations in groundwater levels are frequently estimated using hydraulic heads measured in observation wells. Groundwater levels estimated from sparsely distributed observation wells produce uncertain estimates at unsampled locations that can be highly problematic for groundwater management. In areas where surface water and groundwater intersect, remote sensing provides reliable estimates of hydraulic heads. We propose the application of satellite light detection and ranging (LiDAR) to measure the water levels of lakes in the Nebraska Sand Hills (NSH), a landscape sensitive to climate change, and critical for regional groundwater recharge. Through these measurements, we can closely estimate the local elevation of groundwater and derive a much-improved understanding of groundwater-level change. The research uses hundreds of shallow, interdune lakes that intersect with the regional unconfined aquifer in the NSH. Our proposed research builds upon a previous study demonstrating efficacy of aerial LiDAR for estimating groundwater levels through lake levels in the NSH[1]. We will test the feasibility of monthly groundwater-level estimated using repeated observations from Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) and Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite 2 (ICESat-2). Our estimates will provide the most precise basis for monitoring groundwater levels and unparalleled assessment of spatial variation. Our proposal portends a dramatic increase in the efficacy of decision-making that is highly beneficial to society and the environment.
Growing Groundwater Science. PI Chris Huber, co-PI Daniel Snow. $11,358
Domestic well water is vulnerable to contamination from anthropogenic and geogenic contaminants such as nitrate and arsenic. Few are regularly tested, even fewer are tested for the presence of arsenic species. A growing youth-led citizen and community science program promises to elevate the issue of domestic well water quality and provide additional motivation for regular well water quality testing in Nebraska. Undergraduate students at a 4-year southeast Nebraska university will be trained in well water testing, and work with a local high school to properly sample and test domestic wells from the surrounding area. Students will learn how hydrogeology and land use all affect domestic well water quality and communicate results to local stakeholders. Highschool students will compare their measurements to the conventional laboratory measurements, while undergraduate students will compare arsenic test kit results to advanced instrumental methods, quantify atrazine and other pesticides, and evaluate hazards associated with consumption of untreated well water. This project will build on USGS research aimed at understanding temporal and regional changes in US drinking water supplies.
Is Fish Tissue Methylmercury Related to Lake Sediment Methylmercury? PI Chad Brassil, co-PIs Karrie Weber and Matthew Larrey. $29,801
Mercury, a highly toxic metal, causes impairments to the vast majority of lakes and reservoirs in the US, and therefore impacts both recreational angling and subsistence food security for many Americans. Mercury cannot enter into aquatic food webs until it is methylated, a process mediated by the microbial community found in anoxic lake sediment. The relationship between sediment mercury and fish tissue methylmercury (MeHg hereafter) has been investigated in other regions of the US. This relationship has often been found to be weak and overshadowed by variables such as sediment and vegetation types unique to each region. The Western Corn Belt region sediment and vegetation types differ from the other regions of the US in which this relationship has been studied, so it represents a gap in knowledge of environmental mercury dynamics. We will measure sediment MeHg in lakes and reservoirs across the Western Corn Belt ecoregion of the Midwest and compare MeHg concentrations within the sediment to concentrations within fishes in those same water bodies. We will also compare sediment MeHg to biotic and abiotic variables to detect significant relationships. Lastly, we will identify the members of the microbiotic community present in those sediments to determine if there is a relationship between certain taxonomic groups and sediment MeHg. Through direct analysis of this key step in mercury movement into aquatic food webs, we will inform fish consumption decisions and advisory practices.
In addition to the state-awarded 104b funds, the USGS holds a nationally competitive grant application for 104g funding. 104g awards are asked to tackle projects that align with the national research priorities of the USGS. In 2024, only six projects were awarded throughout the country. Nebraska received funding for one of these six 104g awards.
Physics-based crop, soil, and groundwater modeling of nitrate transport to understand and manage groundwater contamination in agricultural regions. PI Abia Katimbo, co-PIs Sahila Beegum, Daniel Snow, Chittaranjan Ray, Sorab Panday, Arindam Malakar, Alakananda Mitra. $310,000
Nitrate (N) contamination in groundwater is an escalating issue that poses serious health risks, particularly in areas where groundwater is the primary drinking water source. Over one-third of the US population relies on groundwater for drinking water. However, the quality and safety of drinking water from private domestic wells are not regulated by the federal government or most state governments, creating a significant concern. Nitrate contamination in drinking water is more prevalent in agricultural regions where fertilizers are heavily used. Fertilizers cannot be banned since the rural economy and livelihood depend on agriculture. Instead, effective management strategies aimed at reducing groundwater contamination need to be explored. Such strategies must consider crop N uptake, root- and vadose-zone losses, and transport and transformation within the vadose zone and groundwater. Conventional ways currently used to modify/adjust strategies require vadose zone N data collection, which is cost-prohibitive due to the expense of soil sampling and commercial laboratory analysis. Thus, modeling might be the best option. One available model, USGS’s MODFLOW, is excellent for groundwater modeling but does not include N transport and transformation in the vadose zone. Furthermore, an earlier USGS farm process model (FMP) attempted to incorporate farm management practices but fell short in detailing management and estimating crop nitrogen uptake. This project proposes to develop an integrated model to understand N dynamics (including crop N uptake and N leaching) by coupling two models – a modified MODFLOW6 currently enhanced to have 3D vadose zone flow and transport capabilities using a USGS grant awarded to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and USDA’s 2D-SOIL-based crop models with 2D finite element formulation, which lacks a 3-D groundwater component. Insights from the model simulation will help identify N management strategies and develop N recommendations/policies for conservation agencies.
