Nebraska's groundwater legacy: Nitrate contamination beneath irrigated cropland.

A 31 year record of ∼44,000 nitrate analyses in ∼11,500 irrigation wells was utilized to depict the decadal expansion of groundwater nitrate contamination (N ≥ 10 mg/L) in the irrigated corn-growing areas of eastern and central Nebraska and analyze long-term nitrate concentration trends in 17 management areas (MAs) subject to N fertilizer and budgeting requirements. The 1.3 M contaminated hectares were characterized by irrigation method, soil drainage, and vadose zone thickness and lithology.

Risk-managed approach for routing petroleum pipelines: Keystone XL pipeline, Nebraska.

TransCanada's proposed international crude oil pipeline route over sensitive, relatively pristine, subirrigated land underlain by the Ogallala aquifer led to increased scrutiny and eventual rejection of the Keystone XL pipeline. Pipeline routing could be made much more acceptable by adopting risk-managed routes that lessen the potential to adversely impact high-quality groundwater and, should a release occur, decrease the longevity of hazardous groundwater contaminants. Threats to water quality are taken quite seriously in states like Nebraska where 85% of the population depend on groundwater for potable water.