Learning about groundwater movement and water quality (GWWQ) is a great first step for understanding the source and quality of water that you drink every day! The GWWQ Program is designed to introduce the basics of how groundwater moves through aquifers and how contaminants, such as nitrate, move with the groundwater.
Nebraska Extension Associate Becky Schuerman and Specialist Troy Gilmore have designed the GWWQ for middle school and high school students, but the activities and concepts are relevant to anyone who relies on groundwater for drinking water and other uses. In other words, GWWQ is relevant to most Nebraskans!
Contact Becky or contact Troy for more information or to schedule an event.
Virtual Interactives
Interactive learning modules cover basic information about how water and pollutants move through and beneath Nebraska’s watersheds.
Modules may be completed in any order, but are listed in order from more basic to more complex. To start a module, just click on the title image.
Learn the basic water balance components for a groundwater system. Use water data and groundwater maps to determine whether a groundwater system is in balance.
How do streams and groundwater interact? Learn how groundwater and surface water levels affect water movement and understand how pumping can impact streamflow.
Groundwater Facts
Many people in Nebraska rely on groundwater for their daily needs, including drinking water. It is important to maintain sufficient amount of groundwater in our aquifers to supply for agricultural activities and other uses such drinking water. More information on groundwater resources in Nebraska can be found in the Groundwater (Quantity) in Nebraska Fact Sheet.
Have you ever wondered why groundwater nitrate concentrations vary in aquifers? There are several key factors, including land use, that cause high nitrate in groundwater. Another factor is that there are substantial lag times between groundwater quality changes and the human activities that cause them. These lags can cause distinct patterns of groundwater age and quality in aquifers. More information on key factors that influence groundwater nitrate levels can be found at Groundwater Nitrate in Nebraska: Key Factors and Timescales of Movement.