This information is taken from a study generated by the Upper Big Blue Natural Resources District May 2002 and placed here with their permission.   Thank you.

Nebraska Irrigated Acres

Which numbers are right?

How many acres are irrigated in Nebraska?  The answer varies depending on which source of information is used.  Which is more reliable?  Bruce B Johnson, a University of Nebraska agricultural economist, makes a case for determining irrigated acres based on property tax records in the publication Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Developments 2000-2001.  The National Resources Inventory, conducted by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, lists acres that check very closely with the property tax records, while the Nebraska Department of of Agriculture Ag Statistics total is somewhat higher.  The National Resources Inventory irrigated acres in combination with the property tax records probably provide the most accurate numbers.  The irrigated acres reported on well registrations are obviously overstated.

Irrigated Acres in Nebraska
Data Source Acres
DNR Data Bank - Registered irrigation well records.  May 2002

10,838,355
Nebraska Agricultural Statistics Service for the year 2000 8,150,000
1992 NRCS National Resources Inventory 7,463,600
Nebraska Farm Real Estate Market Developments 2000-2001, Department of Agricultural Economics, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, based on property tax records from Nebraska Department of Revenue. 7,381,950

Groundwater Acres
Upper Big Blue       1,055,300 15.8%
Central Platte         849,700 12.7%
Lower Loop         827,600 12.4%
Upper Republican          446,600 6.7%
Little Blue         435,000 6.5%
Lower Elkhorn         416,500 6.2%
Tri Basin         400,200 6.0%
Lower Platte North         295,100 4.4%
Upper Elkhorn         294,600 4.4%
Lower Republican         247,600 3.7%
Middle Republican         211,700 3.2%
Twin Platte         195,300 2.9%
Lower Niobrara         189,600 2.8%
Upper Niobrara-White         186,200 2.8%
Lower Big Blue         121,500 1.8%
North Platte         112,000 1.7%
Papio-Missouri           88,400 1.3%
Lewis & Clark           79,600 1.2%
Middle Niobrara           73,000 1.1%
South Platte           71,700 1.1%
Upper Loup           42,900 0.6%
Nemaha           16,300 0.2%
Lower Platte South           16,000 0.2%
Nebraska Total       6,672,400 100.0%

Surface Acres
North Platte         249,800 31.6%
Lower Loop         113,300 14.3%
Tri Basin           75,500 9.5%
Twin Platte           59,600 7.5%
Middle Republican           46,100 5.8%
Upper Niobrara-White           41,500 5.2%
Middle Niobrara           34,800 4.4%
Lower Republican           30,600 3.9%
Upper Big Blue           22,400 2.8%
Lower Big Blue           17,200 2.2%
Central Platte           15,000 1.9%
Lower Elkhorn           12,800 1.6%
Lower Platte North           11,900 1.5%
South Platte           10,700 1.4%
Papio-Missouri           10,100 1.3%
Little Blue             7,800 1.0%
Upper Loup             7,300 0.9%
Upper Elkhorn             6,100 0.8%
Upper Republican              5,500 0.7%
Nemaha             4,800 0.6%
Lower Platte South             3,900 0.5%
Lower Niobrara             3,200 0.4%
Lewis & Clark             1,300 0.2%
Nebraska Total         791,200 100.0%

Total Acres
Upper Big Blue       1,077,700 14.4%
Lower Loop         940,900 12.6%
Central Platte         864,700 11.6%
Tri Basin         475,700 6.4%
Upper Republican          452,100 6.1%
Little Blue         442,800 5.9%
Lower Elkhorn         429,300 5.8%
North Platte         361,800 4.8%
Lower Platte North         307,000 4.1%
Upper Elkhorn         300,700 4.0%
Lower Republican         278,200 3.7%
Middle Republican         257,800 3.5%
Twin Platte         254,900 3.4%
Upper Niobrara-White         227,700 3.1%
Lower Niobrara         192,800 2.6%
Lower Big Blue         138,700 1.9%
Middle Niobrara         107,800 1.4%
Papio-Missouri           98,500 1.3%
South Platte           82,400 1.1%
Lewis & Clark           80,900 1.1%
Upper Loup           50,200 0.7%
Nemaha           21,100 0.3%
Lower Platte South           19,900 0.3%
Nebraska Total       7,463,600 100.0%

Irrigation Wells
Central Platte           18,872 20.5%
Upper Big Blue           12,734 13.8%
Lower Loop             8,960 9.7%
Little Blue             6,287 6.8%
Tri Basin             5,281 5.7%
Lower Elkhorn             4,601 5.0%
Lower Platte North             4,124 4.5%
Lower Republican             3,867 4.2%
Upper Elkhorn             3,568 3.9%
Upper Republican              3,533 3.8%
Middle Republican             3,400 3.7%
Twin Platte             2,993 3.3%
North Platte             2,668 2.9%
Upper Niobrara-White             1,987 2.2%
Lower Big Blue             1,963 2.1%
Lower Niobrara             1,881 2.0%
South Platte             1,280 1.4%
Papio-Missouri             1,105 1.2%
Middle Niobrara                899 1.0%
Lewis & Clark                685 0.7%
Upper Loup                618 0.7%
Lower Platte South                417 0.5%
Nemaha                347 0.4%
Nebraska Total           92,070 100.0%

Total Acres
NRD Ground Surface Total
Upper Big Blue       1,055,300     22,400  1,077,700
Lower Loop         827,600   113,300     940,900
Central Platte         849,700     15,000     864,700
Tri Basin         400,200     75,500     475,700
Upper Republican          446,600      5,500     452,100
Little Blue         435,000      7,800     442,800
Lower Elkhorn         416,500     12,800     429,300
North Platte         112,000   249,800     361,800
Lower Platte North         295,100     11,900     307,000
Upper Elkhorn         294,600      6,100     300,700
Lower Republican         247,600     30,600     278,200
Middle Republican         211,700     46,100     257,800
Twin Platte         195,300     59,600     254,900
Upper Niobrara-White         186,200     41,500     227,700
Lower Niobrara         189,600      3,200     192,800
Lower Big Blue         121,500     17,200     138,700
Middle Niobrara           73,000     34,800     107,800
Papio-Missouri           88,400     10,100       98,500
South Platte           71,700     10,700       82,400
Lewis & Clark           79,600      1,300       80,900
Upper Loup           42,900      7,300       50,200
Nemaha           16,300      4,800       21,100
Lower Platte South           16,000      3,900       19,900
Total       6,672,400   791,200  7,463,600