The Nebraska Water Center serves Nebraska as a leader in water science, research, teaching, and engagement. It facilitates research partnerships and grows new water leaders. The Center's extensive research includes analyzing over 10,000 water samples annually at the Nebraska Water Sciences Lab. Other projects study the Nebraska vadose zone, integrated modeling of the Ogallala aquifer, and promoting sustainable agriculture water use. The Center also leads interns, field schools, and the Know Your Well project to engage students and water professionals. It facilitates partnerships between faculty and statewide water organizations to address challenges like nitrate levels in the Bazile Groundwater Management Area. On a global scale, the Center shares its groundwater expertise and grows the next generation of international water leaders

1. NEBRASKA WATER CENTER
Reaching from the Lab to the World
Chittaranjan Ray, Ph.D., P.E.
Director
@NebrWaterCenter

2. Enhancing the impact of water
research, teaching, and
engagement for Nebraska

3. Serve Nebraska as a leader in water science,
management, and policy
Research: Facilitate research & partnerships
Teaching: Grow new water researchers and leaders
Engagement: Connect water research results to water
professionals and the public

4. Expanding Research Capacity

5. Nebraska Water Sciences Lab
2018: 10,000+ samples, over 140 methods
Novel methods and method development
• emerging contaminants
• water age dating
Clients from across the world

6. Nebraska Vadose Zone Project
nebraskavadose.unl.edu

7. %Sand/Silt/Clay

8. Ogallala CAP project
ogallalawater.org
1) Field-based research
2) Integrated modeling
3) Economics and Policy
4) Extension & Engagement
SWAT
MODFLOW
+ Ground
water
Model
award number 2016-68007-25066

9. Ogallala CAP:
Nebraska Groundwater Mound modeling
• How has the
groundwater-shed
evolved between
the Platte and
Republican basins?
• What is the total
transfer of water
from the Platte to
the Republican?

10. WATER for AGRICULTURE
A multi-disciplinary project
that promotes sustainable
water for agriculture through:
- Stakeholder engagement
- Testing impacts
This work is supported by the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) Water for Agriculture grant no. 2017-68007-26584/project
accession no. 1013079 from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

11. WATER for AGRICULTURE
A sample of results:
-200
-190
-180
-170
-160
-150
-140
-130
-120
-110
-100
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
feet
Year
Depth to water level, mandatory quota scenario
Round 3
Control (tmt 4)
Weak Engagement (tmt 5)
Strong Engagement (tmt 6)
100
300
500
700
900
1100
1300
1500
1700
1900
2100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
tokens
Year
Average Profit, mandatory quota scenario
Round 3
Control (tmt 4)
Weak Engagement(tmt 5)
Strong Engagement (tmt 6)

12. Growing Future Water Leaders

13. Water Sciences Lab Internships
2018: 25 students

14. 2019
1. McCook
2. Wauneta-Palisade
3. Crawford
4. Kearney
5. Banner County
6. Garden County
7. Sterling
8. Superior
9. Callaway
2017
1. Waverly
2. Newman Grove
3. Auburn
4. Central City
2018
1. Freeman
2. McCool
3. Stuart
4. Cody-Kilgore
5. Madison
Know Your Well
Project

15. Field
School lab
Water Sciences Lab
Data app
Know Your
Well Project

16. Engaging Water Professionals

17. Water Tour
Media
September 2019
Yellowstone National Park &
Missouri Headwaters!

18. Symposia &
Seminars
• Spring Seminar Series: NRD Priorities and Challenges
Wednesdays, Hardin Hall & livestream
• Nebraska Women for Water: May 1st
• 2018 National Institutes for Water Resources Regional
Symposium: Water Resources of the US Great Plains Region
• 2018 Platte River Basin Ecosystem Symposium

19. Facilitating Partnerships
Connecting faculty to statewide water
partners
• Research collaboration
• Extension engagement
Water Resources Advisory Panel (WRAP)

20. Nebraska Partners

21. Bazile Groundwater Management Area
Four NRDs worked with DEQ to
create first EPA-approved 319 plan
that links surface & groundwater
Jointly funded Extension Educator
Three demonstration farms:
• Coupled precision fertilizer and
irrigation management
• Cover crops and soil health
LNNRD

22. Bazile Nitrate levels and vadose zone sampling
<5.0
5.0-7.5
7.5-10.0
10.0-15.0
15.0-40.0
Vadose core
West Knox Rural Water Creighton Wausa
OsmondPlainviewBrunswickRoyalOrchard

23. From Nebraska to the
world
Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute

24. Global Yield Gap and Water Productivity Atlas

25. Sharing groundwater
management knowledge
Nebraska’s Natural Resources Districts help
maintain groundwater levels.

26. Growing the world’s next water leaders & researchers
Student Research Funds
International student programs

27. Research-based policy dialogue
National and Global conferences & forums

28. Global partners

29. THANK YOU!
watercenter.unl.edu