Nebraska irrigates the most acres in the country from water wells — 7,875,162 — according to a 2007 Census of Agriculture report. More than 90,000 active irrigation wells were in operation in Nebraska as of August 2007, according to the University of Nebraska Lincoln Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. The institute finds that the highest density of wells is located in the Central Platte Valley, where more than 16 irrigation wells have been installed per square mile of land.
At a time when, due in large part to regional drought in the U.S., groundwater sustainability is increasingly at the forefront of government policy and resource management efforts, Nebraska’s Central Platte Natural Resources District (CPNRD) is taking steps to ensure that its groundwater supply and streamflow are not negatively impacted.