Water Management

Uplands Aquifer Well Moratorium

A permanent well moratorium for portions of Butler and Saunders Counties went into effect on May 9, 2008. Drilling of new wells and/or expansion of irrigated acres served by existing wells is restricted in these areas and will require a variance from the NRD. (Variance request forms are available in our Downloads section here.)

Moratorium The moratorium was declared due to the NRD’s concerns about the fragility of portions of the Uplands Aquifer, which includes northeastern Butler County and western and eastern portions of Saunders County. The region is a glacial till area and has a number of “pocket aquifers” that are hydrologically distinct from surrounding areas. In these pocket aquifers, high-capacity wells can have a much more significant impact on domestic water use than they would within a larger aquifer.

Due to the geologic complexity of the region, the NRD conducted a year-long study to determine the boundaries of these pockets within the Uplands. During the study period, a temporary stay on new wells and expansion of irrigated acres was in effect for the majority of the Uplands region. The final moratorium was split into four smaller subareas: Prague, Swedeburg, Yutan, and Yutan South. Together, the four subareas cover approximately 455 square miles.

A fifth subarea, Morse Bluff, was originally included in the final moratorium. However, the subsurface geology of that area is similar to other nearby areas that were left out of the moratorium, so in May the NRD Board of Directors voted to exclude the Morse Bluff subarea as well.

Currently these four subareas are the only moratoriums within the Lower Platte North NRD. However, if the Department of Natural Resources declares the river basin as fully-appropriated, there could also be state-imposed stays on wells and expansion of irrigated acres outside the Uplands area.

At this point the Upland moratorium areas are the only moratorium areas in the district. However, if the Department of Natural Resources declares the river basin as fully-appropriated under LB962, there could also be state-imposed stays on wells and expansion of irrigated acres outside the Uplands area.

For more information, contact Larry Angle, Water Resources Manager.