Comprehensive Overview of Water Quality

Nebraska, which forms a central part of the agricultural belt of America, relies on both surface and groundwaterand satisfies the residential, agricultural, and industrial demands. Important rivers that flow within the state include the Platte, Niobrara, and Republican rivers, and the state is also rich in underwater reserves, and most notable among this group of reserves is the Ogallala Aquifer that covers most parts of the state. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) monitors and regulates the quality of water. In recent evaluations, it has been found out that the surface water quality in Nebraska is variable in different regions. Although certain streams and lakes have been categorized into categories that they support specific uses such as recreation and aquatic life, some have been impaired because of nutrients, pathogens, and sedimentation.

There is a bigger concern about the groundwaterquality in Nebraska as compared to many other states, which is mainly due to the high usage of the well water. The agricultural runoff is one of the main causes of nitrate contamination that has become a problem in most parts of the state. Nitrate concentrations have surpassed the federal drinking water standards in certain regions, leading to health warnings and advice on excessively unsustainable land practices. Nevertheless, Nebraska also has an effective structure of its local Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) that take the leading role in controlling water quality at a local level. Farmer-scientist-conservation organization-regulator partnerships are also highly active and useful to the state.

Nebraska Water Quality Challenges

The main problems in the water quality in Nebraska are directly tied to the major economic activity of the state of Nebraska, which is agriculture. The cropland and concentrated animal farming operations (CAFOs) manure runoff and the pesticide and fertilizer runoff contribute largely to the nonpoint source pollution.

The nitrate contamination of the groundwater is one of the urgent questions. Over 85 percent of Nebraskans use groundwater as a source of drinking water, and in counties that deal with agriculture, such as York, Hall, and Dodge, nitrates have reached over 10 milligrams per liter in some wells, a concern to the EPA because of its limit set at 10 milligrams per liter. Due to long-term exposure to high levels of nitrates, this condition can become dangerous to the health of infants and expectant women.

Phosphorus and nitrogen watersheds are also causes of HABs in lakes like the Zorinsky Lake and the Pawnee Lake. These flowers interfere with aquatic life, spoil recreation, and endanger both pets and human beings.

Another issue is the pathogen contamination by livestock activities and septic tank failures. In some waters in rivers and streams, E. coli frequently violate recreational water criteria a few days after heavy rainfall or runoff. Banks and bodies of water are obscured by eroding sediments, which are caused by tilling, loss of riparian forests, and unstable stream banks. Erosion has been creeping up in places such as the Sandhills, whose grasslands have been tilled into farmlands.

There is a problem of pesticide contamination in Nebraska also, as atrazine and other herbicides can leak into groundwater as well as into the surface water system. Such chemicals can impact drinking water and aquatic life. Finally, there is aging infrastructure, especially in small and rural water systems, which creates problems with compliance. Other communities do not even have the modern treatment technologies to deal with some of the contaminants, such as nitrates, arsenic, and lead.

State and Local Efforts to Improve Water Quality

Nebraska has used a decentralized system that is locally administered, and their 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) were very crucial to this. Such NRDs are distinctive to Nebraska and will permit bespoke water quality efficiency projects that will be determined by the necessities of local watersheds and society.

A key state action is the Nebraska Nitrate Management Program operating under the NRDs that check on the nitrate levels, facilitate the best practices in the use of fertilizers, and compel farmers in the hot zones to present their nutrient plans. Other NRDs also implement groundwater testing and fertilizer exemption in specific Groundwater Management Areas (GMAs).

Conservation practices such as buffer strips, cover crops, no-till farming, and constructed wetlands are enabled to be implemented through the Nonpoint Source Management Program, funded under the Clean Water Act Section 319 and run by NDEE. Such measures have been tested to make the reductions in runoff and safeguard groundwater as well as surface water. The local watershed projects (e.g., within the Lower Platte River Basin or the Upper Big Blue NRD) are all concerned with cooperating with landowners, monitoring waters, and engaging in water conservation activities to restore the quality of impaired water bodies.

The Surface Water Quality Monitoring Program in Nebraska monitors the pollutants, evaluates fish kills, and publishes advisories after seasons of algal bloom. As an example, the Nebraska HAB Alert System advises residents of a danger to human health when high levels of cyanobacteria enter recreational lakes.

At the county level, the Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) and the Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) funds are offered to finance these projects to enhance water treatment systems, renovate old infrastructure, and meet drinking water regulations. Nebraska Extension, the local conservation districts, and the university research centers use education and outreach programs to provide farmers, students, and citizens with an explanation of the role of protecting water quality.

Impact of Climate Change on Water Quality

Climate change has been experienced as more pressure on the water systems in Nebraska through changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme weather patterns. The changes pose a risk to aggravate the already existing issues regarding water quality and make the management process more challenging.

Dense rainfalls and storms may cause augmented nutrient and sediment runoff in farmlands, begetting frequent and severe harmful algal blooms in lakes and reservoirs. As a case in point, storms have been found to result in higher phosphorous loading, leading to frequent HAB cases in recreation hotbeds of eastern Nebraska. Instead, drought somehow reduces the level of streams and lakes, the distribution of pollutants is concentrated, and water quality deteriorates. With all these reduced flows as well, there is less dilution of nitrates, pesticides, etc. in irrigation and recreation rivers.

Warmer temperatures can lengthen the algal growing season and also favor a shift toward the dominance of cyanobacteria in the ecosystem. The HABs are also bound to be more persistent and difficult to control as the water temperatures increase. The timing changes in snowmelt and snowpack decline may destabilize streamflow regime, particularly in western Nebraska, which may impact both aquatic ecosystems and the supply of clean surface water to downstream communities.

Further, climate stress in crops can result in increased input of fertilizer, inadvertently increasing chances of nitrates leaching to the groundwaters. In order to counteract these issues, Nebraska agencies and NRDs include the adaptation to the changing climate in their long-term strategies in the water planning.

There is a push to facilitate climate-adaptive agricultural elements, enhance soil conditions, and spread the application of ground covers and rotational grazing. These approaches serve to curb runoffs, improve water storage, and provide relief against drought and flood effects. Green infrastructure is another example of nature-based solutions to improving climate resilience to climate-induced water quality degradation, since investments in wetlands and vegetated buffers represent nature-based solutions as well.