NORFOLK, Nebraska -- The Bazile Groundwater Management Area (BGMA) receives $209,500 from the Nebraska Environmental Trust (NET) for year two of the “Development of Research and Demonstration Sites in the BGMA for Groundwater Nitrate Reduction” project. The project is one of the 118 projects that received a portion of the $20,000,000 from NET this year.

Located in northeast Nebraska, the BGMA was formed collaboratively between the Lower Elkhorn, Upper Elkhorn, Lower Niobrara and Lewis and Clark Natural Resources Districts, and the Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to address high nitrate levels in the area. Since its formation in 2013, the BGMA has been dedicated to increasing education of agricultural producers and increasing the implementation of best management practices.

To further this effort, the BGMA has partnered with the Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to design the proposed project. This project will develop three advanced nitrogen and water management research and demonstration sites, conduct annual field days and educational meetings, and provide an analysis of the success of various water and nitrogen application methods utilized.

Through innovative education and demonstration, this project will encourage widespread adoption of improved practices, positively impacting ground and surface water quality and soil management. This project is a vital step forward in stabilizing and eventually reducing nitrate levels within the BGMA.

The Nebraska Legislature created the Nebraska Environmental Trust in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the Trust has provided over $328 million in grants to over 2,300 projects across the state. Anyone – citizens, organizations, communities, farmers and businesses – can apply for funding to protect habitat, improve water quality and establish recycling programs in Nebraska. The Nebraska Environmental Trust works to preserve, protect and restore our natural resources for future generations.