Nemaha NRD asking for water conservation

TECUMSEH - The Nemaha Natural Resources District is asking for water conservation due to abnormally dry conditions in recent years.

Portions of River Country have been in the category of abnormally dry or moderate drought in 35 of the last 41 months. The U.S. Drought Monitor has listed the NRD district in drought every month so far in 2025, 11 months in 2024, 10 months in 2022 and 9 months in 2021.

A press release Wednesday says water resources have been stressed over the last few summers

NRD: “Our groundwater is recharged solely by precipitation, and water levels are dropping fast due to these exceptionally dry years.”

The NRD says water demand is increasing, but a prolonged lack of rain diminishes supplies for domestic and agricultural wells.

The drought map a week ago had most of River Country in a moderate drought, with only the Nebraska City area as abnormally dry.

 

Here is the NRD’s press release

Drought Management Response

In southeast Nebraska groundwater is a rare resource we are fortunate to have, but it’s also severely stressed over the last few summers. Our groundwater is recharged solely by precipitation, and water levels are dropping fast due to these exceptionally dry years. Over the last several years, southeast Nebraska has seen much lower amounts of rain leading to drought conditions that stress aquifer levels and water availability. Groundwater resources are under increasing pressure as demand for water by both municipalities and agriculture increases every year. Add in a prolonged lack of precipitation and you get a picture of the diminishing water supplies with which we are faced. If these conditions continue, we could be facing issues with water availability to our domestic, municipal, and agricultural wells. 

The Nemaha NRD is asking all water users in our district to be as conservative as possible during these dry times to make sure that there is enough water to be shared among all its users. Hopefully, this dry trend will change, and some of the stress on the water levels will ease with a few rains through the remainder of this spring and coming summer.

The NRD Board of Directors and staff appreciate your hard work and dedication to preserving our precious resources.