A University of Nebraska–Lincoln project to track fertilizer and urban runoff in streams has received a $307,730 grant from the Nebraska Environmental Trust.

Jessica Corman, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources, leads the project.

Nebraska is an agricultural state rich with water resources. Unfortunately, fertilizer use to promote agricultural yields has increased nutrients in those waters. Though researchers have recognized and started to address the increased levels of nitrates in water, nitrogen is not the only nutrient in fertilizer. It also contains phosphorus. When nitrogen and phosphorus accumulate in water, they stimulate the growth of algae and cyanobacteria. This growth can turn waters pea-soup green, conditions that are unattractive for recreation, at best, or toxic to animals and humans, at worst.

Understanding how, when and where nutrients enter streams and lakes is critical to successfully managing Nebraska’s surface waters. To meet this challenge, Nebraska researchers plan to build StreamNet, a novel network of high-frequency aquatic nutrient sensors with an easily accessible web application. They will pilot StreamNet in the Scottsbluff/Terrytown/Gering region, where they can place sensors in streams flowing through cropped, ranched and urban areas. The team will work with regional stakeholders to design the web application.

By combining innovative sensing technology with a user-driven web application, researchers expect to provide novel information on nutrient conditions in Nebraska lakes and streams, leading to improved nutrient management techniques and, ultimately, improved water quality in the state.

This is the first year of the award, with potential for second- and third-year funding of $172,794 and $11,202, respectively. The project is one of 118 receiving $20 million in grant awards from the NET this year. Of these, 73 were new applications and 45 are carry-over projects.

The Nebraska Legislature created the NET in 1992. Using revenue from the Nebraska Lottery, the trust has provided more than $328 million in grants to more than 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 NET works to preserve, protect and restore the state’s natural resources for future generations.