Soaking in the 105-degree pool at Moccasin Springs in Hot Springs, S.D., with my wife recently offered plenty of time for reflection and relaxation. One direction my mind went was the history of the hot springs we were visiting, then I thought about water as a resource back home. Our local Natural Resource District is a great source of information.
Pat O’Brien has been general manager at the Chadron-based Upper Niobrara-White NRD for nearly 11 years. Prior to that he worked for the Nebraska Association of Resource Districts. The mission of the UNWNRD is: Prevent and control erosion, flood water, pollution, and sediment damage; Promote soil, water, fish, and wildlife conservation; Develop, manage, and preserve for beneficial use, our surface and groundwater supply, our fish and wildlife habitat, our forest and range resources, and our recreational and park facilities for present and future generations.
There are 23 of these districts in Nebraska, each roughly organized based on surface water basins, Pat said. Boundaries conform to political lines such as sections and townships. The UNW is the second largest in the state at 4.5 million acres. This district’s diversity makes it unique, Pat explained, with short grass prairie north of the Pine Ridge, the high plains in Box Butte and Sheridan Counties as well as the Sandhills. Average precipitation ranges from 13 inches in the northwest to 19 inches in the southeast. “Doesn’t sound like a lot, but it can be if you’re trying to grow a crop,” he said. Rangeland to pasture is the largest use while irrigation covers 300,000 acres.
Eight people are on staff. An 11-member, locally elected board establishes priorities. “Groundwater depletion is a big challenge in Box Butte County and Mirage Flats,” Pat said, where allocation has become “just part of doing business.” Farmers can use 65 inches over five years. UNW employees need to know the number of certified acres on each tract. One person is responsible for monitoring water use through meters on 2,000 fields – most are in Box Butte County.
Another person works solely with water quality. “We need to maintain that for domestic use by statute,” Pat said. This includes domestic, irrigation and stock wells. “We’re looking pretty good in this area,” he added. The NRD samples more than half the wells per year.
Trees are a focus as well. Sales typically range from 80,000-100,000 destined for wildlife, pollinator habitat, shelterbelts and landscaping.
Education is also important as the UWN reaches out to the public and youth, including an annual festival that brings more than 200 area fifth graders to Chadron. This aspect reflects the district’s latest information. “Once you collect data you have to interpret it – that’s what we’re doing this time of year,” Pat said.
Concerning quantity, one of the biggest challenges is addressing groundwater declines, Pat emphasized. In regard to where they are now, he explained, “Regulation is one of the last things to implement. This district started it in 2006. Depletions have been occurring long before that. Flow measuring devices were first.” He said the process was enlightening as many people either thought they were not using that much or thought they had been using more. Pat said the UWN wants to be able to keep land in agriculture for the next generation. The average decline in Box Butte County was a foot per year in 1970. That has improved to six inches with some increases in wet years.
Water access and quantity differs throughout this NRD. “In the district we definitely have haves and have nots,” Pat said. North of the Pine Ridge are very limited aquifers that run thin and deep, he noted, where you are lucky to find a well that can pump more than five gallons a minute. Pipeline supplement livestock. South and east of the Ridge water becomes more plentiful. In central Box Butte County a layer of clay inhibits recharge, ranging from a couple to 30-40 feet thick. East of Alliance in the Sandhills the Ogallala Aquifer is hundreds of feet thick. The static water level in southern Sheridan County has risen five feet in the past 15 years, Pat said.
The ranches where rising water levels have filled lakes and ponds also capitalize on renewable resources such as wind and solar. Water does not fall into that category. Pat explained that every drop of water has always been here in one form or another with no hope of making more, rather it is “location and timing” he observed. “Producers who rely on it are very aware of that fact – anytime they turn on a well it costs them money.” Pat pointed out that because there is a plentiful supply of water in most of the district it is difficult to also view it as a limited supply.
The UNW relies on an experienced staff and the tools at their disposal to fulfill their mission. Looking at the future, Pat said, “Technology is growing at an incredible rate, we will focus on using it to manage water. Everybody wants instant gratification (such as knowing current soil moisture levels).” He foresees incorporating technology to help people manage their systems. “We’re a government entity – it is hard to pick winners and losers. We want to benefit producers.”