GRAND ISLAND, Nebraska -- Visit the Outdoor Learning Area, located east of the Raising Nebraska Building, while you enjoy the Nebraska State Fair! This green oasis offers not only a place to relax but also an educational experience about our precious natural resources and groundwater. A recent addition to the site is a monitoring well, installed by the Nebraska Well Drillers Association and built by Downey Drilling, which reaches a depth of 55 feet. Thanks to a generous donation from Seim Ag Technology, a sophisticated monitoring system has been installed to provide real-time data on groundwater levels.

Step inside the Raising Nebraska Building and check out the kiosk near the elevated map. Here, you can view year-round groundwater levels and observe how they fluctuate at this site. The reading is also available on the Central Platte NRD website at: https://www.cpnrd.org/education/outdoor-learning-area/

The Outdoor Learning Area is a project developed and maintained by the Grand Island Groundwater Guardian Team and the Central Platte Natural Resources District (NRD). Since its inception in 2012, the quarter-acre site has been a hub for groundwater education and awareness.

The NRD oversees 116 active monitoring wells from Gothenburg to Columbus. Data collected from these wells, along with 500 irrigation wells, is vital for the NRD’s groundwater management program, with measurements taken each spring and fall.

Don't miss this unique opportunity to learn more about groundwater and its vital role in our ecosystem at the Nebraska State Fair! The area is open to the public year-round.  It’s a great place for field trips by providing a stimulating place for play, learning, and environmental education– particularly water education. Local educators have used the area to educate students about butterfly migration, GPS technology, and native plants.  The Outdoor Learning Area is available year-round to allow educators and the public an educational, leisurely place to enjoy nature.