Securing water resources for the future was focus of 2025 Great Plains Water Conference

The Nebraska Water Center hosted the 2025 Great Plains Water Conference September 18-19. Held at the Milo Bail Student Center on the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s campus, this regional event included 61 speakers and 163 attendees from eight states across the region.

The conference theme was "Securing Water Resources for Tomorrow," and speakers shared their expertise in water smart communities and watersheds, water quality monitoring and treatment strategies, emerging contaminants, wellhead protection, education and outreach, basin management, and more. Researchers, governments, nonprofits, state agencies, and students from Nebraska, Kansas, Oklahoma, Iowa, Missouri, South Dakota, and North Dakota shared how communities across the Great Plains are planning for their future water resources.

Videos from many of the sessions and photos from the event are available at go.unl.edu/waterconference. The event was sponsored by the Kansas Water Institute and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln's Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

New thematic map highlights U.S. water rights systems, informs water governance

A collaborative team from the Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute, the National Drought Mitigation Center, and the Department of Agricultural Economics, all at the University of Nebraska, has developed a new thematic map illustrating primary water rights systems across the U.S. 

This innovative tool provides a clearer understanding of the variability of surface water and groundwater rights systems, which are crucial for effective water management and policy development by researchers, policymakers and landowners alike. The project was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

DWFI shares insights on Mountains, Water and Food in Austria

DWFI Research Program Scientist Randall Ritzema represented the institute this week at the International Mountain Conference in Innsbruck, Austria. He delivered two talks on the connection between sloping land use, irrigation water availability, and upland rice production in Laos. The conference offered a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and bring fresh insights back to Nebraska on the theme of Mountains, Water, and Food.

DWFI featured in 2025 Global Agricultural Productivity Report

The Global Agricultural Productivity (GAP) Initiative at Virginia Tech mobilizes and advocates for action and investment to accelerate agricultural productivity growth at all scales of production to create returns to farmers, society, the economy, and the environment. The GAP Report is the heart of the GAP Initiative. This annually produced report is the premier source for productivity data, analysis, and policy recommendations that inspire action.

DWFI provided a Partner Story for the 2025 report, sharing its collaboration on the Dashboard for Agricultural Water and Nutrient Management (DAWN) project. DAWN is a free, web-based decision-support tool developed to help Corn Belt producers optimize water and nutrient inputs for efficiency gains. Supported by USDA NIFA and developed by a team of researchers, including those at DWFI, the tool translates complex climate data into six-month forecasts that can be applied for realtime, region-specific, actionable insights. With over 400 users, DAWN is gaining traction and attracting private-sector interest. By bridging science and practice, DAWN supports more efficient, resilient farming and highlights the importance of collaborative, farmer-informed innovation in digital agriculture.

The 2025 GAP report was launched at an event in Chicago on October 1.

DWFI kicks off year with annual Fall Welcome event

The Daugherty Water for Food Global Institute welcomed its 2025–26 cohort of supported students on September 24 at the AKRS Champion Club. The annual Fall Welcome event offered an introduction to the institute’s mission, programs, and global impact. Students heard from DWFI leadership, gained practical guidance on communicating research impact, and networked with DWFI staff. 

Since 2014, DWFI’s Student Support Program has provided more than 130 awards and $4.9 million in student research funding—with $4.2 million matched one-to-one by faculty fellows— across the University of Nebraska system. These awards support students whose work advances the institute’s mission to achieve greater food security with less pressure on scarce water resources. We’re excited for the year ahead!