The central platte natural resources district, located in hall county, nebraska, in partnership with the nebraska department of natural resources, will install telemetry-enabled irrigation flow meters…

The Central Platte Natural Resources District, in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources, received a $591,510 Project Grant award from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation under the WaterSMART (Sustain and Manage America's Resources for Tomorrow) program (CFDA 15.507). The funding will be used to install telemetry-enabled irrigation flow meters at 100 groundwater wells in an area of groundwater decline, which is expected to result in annual water savings of 1,162 acre-feet by reducing over-irrigation and preventing contamination of surface and groundwater. The project aligns with the Greater Platte River Recovery and Implementation Plan, contributing to increased streamflow and improved hydrologic health across three states. The award period is from December 20, 2024 to September 30, 2027.

The central platte natural resources district, located in hall county, nebraska, in partnership with the nebraska department of natural resources, will install telemetry-enabled irrigation flow meters to autonomously measure, report, and analyze daily groundwater pumping data at 100 wells in an area of groundwater decline. The project is expected to result in annual water savings of 1,162 acre-feet by reducing overirrigation, which either evaporates or contaminates surface and groundwater with fertilizers and pesticides. Conserved water will remain in the local aquifer. The project area also integrates the greater platte river recovery and implementation plan, aligning increased streamflow from water savings with conservation plans and greater hydrologic health across three states.