CHADRON, Neb. -- The Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District (UNWNRD) has completed spring groundwater level measurements. Despite the plentiful precipitation received the last several months, the groundwater levels have remained steady throughout the District.

Groundwater levels are measured in both spring and fall to monitor changes in the depth to water across the UNWNRD, which includes Box Butte, Dawes, and Sheridan Counties as well as the northern 80 percent of Sioux County. The UNWNRD measures these water levels at nearly 200 observation wells across the district to provide an indicator of changes to the groundwater supply. More than 50 of these observation sites are dedicated monitoring wells that have been installed by the UNWNRD specifically to track changes in groundwater levels across the district.

Groundwater measurements in Sub Areas 1, 2, 3 and 5 indicate a slight increase over the last year, while the 2 allocated Sub Areas, 4 and 6, have shown a slight decrease. Overall the groundwater levels in the UNWNRD have remained relatively constant, contrary to the above average levels of precipitation received over the winter and spring months so far this year.

“The impacts of the above average precipitation the District received this year may not be seen in the groundwater levels until later this year,”said Lynn Webster, UNWNRD assistant manager. “Elevated groundwater levels in the fall groundwater measurements would be expected as the result of recharge due to precipitation.”

For more information, please contact the Upper Niobrara White NRD at 308.432.6190 or online at www.unwnrd.org.