Special report on groundwater levels released

The Conservation and Survey Division released a special report on current groundwater levels in response to the 2012 drought.
The Conservation and Survey Division released a special report on current groundwater levels in response to the 2012 drought.

Groundwater levels declined last year in five wells assessed by UNL’s Conservation and Survey Division.

The findings, in a new Conservation and Survey Division report, offer a snapshot of water level changes during the 2012 drought at selected locations in Nebraska.

While the annual reports assess data from about 5,500 wells, only five wells were selected for this special report. The Conservation and Survey Division chose these wells because they are in regions with a high density of irrigation wells and because of their historically significant water-level changes.

The special report’s findings are consistent with historical trends, but it is not intended to be a comprehensive study of the impacts of the 2012 drought, said Aaron Young, the groundwater resource coordinator for the Conservation and Survey Division.

All five of the selected sites discussed in the special report experienced a water-level decline from spring 2012 to spring 2013, ranging from 1.85 to 5.5 feet.

Specifically, the Grainton Recorder well in Perkins County fell 1.85 feet; the Alliance Recorder well in Box Butte County fell 3.33 feet; the Elgin Recorder well in Antelope County fell 5.50 feet; the Shickley Recorder well in Fillmore County fell 2.87 feet, and the Aurora Recorder well in Hamilton County fell 5.00 feet.

The Conservation and Survey Division publishes the annual Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Reports each fall after the spring water level measurements have been taken and analyzed.

The special spring report is in response to last year’s drought and meant to help individuals and organizations prepare for the coming agricultural season.

“Many people are concerned about how much groundwater levels declined due to the 2012 drought,” said Young. “This report will give a rough idea of how water levels responded in areas with a high density of irrigation wells.”

The annual groundwater-level reports measure the change in Nebraska’s water levels and reflect historical trends.

Electronic copies of the spring special report are available free at http://snr.unl.edu/data/download/water/GWMapArchives/GWReports/ESN-9_2012.pdf.

The annual Nebraska Statewide Groundwater-Level Monitoring Reports are available online at go.unl.edu/groundwater. Paper copies of both reports are also available for purchase through the Nebraska Maps and More Store at 101 Hardin Hall.

For more information, go to http://go.unl.edu/6fs, send email to snrsales@unl.edu or call 402-472-3471.