A Nebraska natural resources district may impose limits on irrigation in the wake of drought conditions and declining water levels.
The Norfolk Daily News reports that irrigation controls are now under consideration in three areas of the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District. The proposal would affect irrigation in some townships in Wayne, Madison and Pierce counties.
The district's governing board directed staff members last month to create a plan to deal with the growing number of conflicts between high-volume irrigation wells and domestic wells drawn down by their neighbors' pumping.
The discussion was also prompted by measurements that showed all 243 irrigation wells monitored by the district had water levels lower than one year ago. One-third of the wells have reached all-time lows.
