University of Nebraska Water and Natural Resources Tour Is June 25-26

LINCOLN, Neb. — Urban and rural management of Nebraska’s water resources will be examined in a two-day University of Nebraska water and natural resources tour in June.

The June 25 and 26 tour is jointly planned and conducted by NU’s Water Center, the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce, and Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District. The Nebraska Water Center is part of NU’s Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute.

The tour leaves from and returns to the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s East Campus in Lincoln but will be based primarily in and around York and Clay Center.

Present and future management of Nebraska’s surface and groundwater resources from both rural and urban perspectives will be the tour’s main focus.

“In terms of current and future demands and with additional impacts of ongoing drought conditions fresh in everyone’s minds, the timing is right to visit these topics in some detail,” said tour organizer and retired UNL water resources engineer Mike Jess.

The annual tour is normally three days, but to keep costs in check and accommodate schedules that sometimes have difficulty fitting in a three-day tour, organizers thought a two-day format was worth exploring for this year’s in-state tour. Traditional July tour dates have also been moved up to take advantage of the probability of cooler temperatures.

The tour will encompass several watersheds and look at both rural and urban water management issues. There will be one overnight at York.

Anticipated tour stops include:

–The Jayne Snyder Trails Center, Lincoln, with discussions hosted by the Lower Platte South NRD on the Antelope Creek flood control and urban development project.

– Spring Creek Prairie Audubon Center near Denton.

– Monsanto Research Center near Waco for discussions on crop research and genetics.

– Preferred Sands of Genoa for viewing and discussion of sands used in the fracking industry.

– Crop demonstration sites and public works water projects in the Upper Big Blue NRD and York areas.

– Agricultural water management and research projects at UNL’s South Central Agricultural Lab near Clay Center

– A tour and discussion of the missions of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Meat Animal Research Center near Clay Center.

– A tour of Reinke Manufacturing Co. near Deshler.

Registration is $400 per person single occupancy or $350 per person double occupancy. To register, contact Nollette at the Kearney Area Chamber at (308) 237-3168 or email jnollette@kearneycoc.org. Space is limited and registration is first-come, first-served.

Additional tour organizers are Jeff Buettner of Central Nebraska Public Power and Irrigation District and Nollette of the Kearney Area Chamber of Commerce.

Additional sponsors include Monsanto Company and Nebraska Public Power District.