The Nebraska Water Center (NWC), in partnership with the School of Natural Resources (SNR) at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln (UNL), will kick-off its annual Spring Water Seminar Series with a Jan. 16 lecture by Jeff Fassett, director of the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources. All lectures are free, open to the public and held 3:30-4:30 p.m. in the First Floor Auditorium at Hardin Hall located at the northeast corner of 33rd and Holdrege streets on UNL’s East Campus.
This year’s theme is Natural Resources Districts (NRD) Priorities and Challenges. Unlike the rest of the country, NRDs in Nebraska are based on river basin boundaries, enabling them to approach natural resources management on a watershed basis. There are 23 NRDs in Nebraska and each district is autonomous, governed by a locally-elected Board of Directors that set its own priorities and develops its own programs to best serve local needs.
Insights from NRDs prove useful in assessing statewide issues and solutions involving water conservation and management. The NWC’s Spring Water Seminar Series provides a forum to increase awareness of water issues and engage in thoughtful discussion surrounding the wise management of Nebraska's surface and groundwater resources. The series began in 1968 as a spring semester program for students, faculty, water professionals and the public to hear experts address current water issues. Students can take the seminar series for one hour of credit through SNR and other UNL departments.
2019 Water Seminar Series Schedule
• Jan. 16
An Overview of Water Management in Nebraska
Jeff Fassett, Director, Nebraska Department of Natural Resources
• Jan. 30
Integrated Water Resources Management in Tri-Basin NRD
John Thorburn, General Manager, Tri-Basin NRD
• Feb. 13
Balancing Urban and Rural Water Needs (tentative)
John Winkler, General Manager, Papio-Missouri River NRD
• Feb. 27
Kremer Memorial Lecture: Title TBD
James Butler, Senior Scientist, Section Chief, Geohydrology, Kansas Geological Survey
• March 13
Managing Nitrates in the Bazile Groundwater Management Area (tentative)
Mike Sousek, General Manager, Lower Elkhorn NRD
• April 3
One District, Two Plans, One Water
Rod DeBuhr, Assistant General Manager, Upper Big Blue NRD
• April 17
Willliams Memorial Lecture: Title TBD
Jason Gurdak, Associate Professor, Department of Earth & Climate Sciences, San Francisco State University
An updated schedule can be found at https://watercenter.unl.edu/spring-seminar-series as more lecture titles and information become available.
About the Nebraska Water Center
The Nebraska Water Center was established by Congressional mandate as one of 54 Water Resources Research Institutes in 1964. The center focuses on helping the University of Nebraska become an international leader in water research, teaching, extension and outreach. After 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 Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska.
Learn more at https://watercenter.unl.edu or contact Tricia Liedle at pliedle@nebraska.edu or 402.472.3305 for more information.
More details at: https://go.unl.edu/b8m8