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¶ Introduction
Contains survey statistics of laboratory results from water samples submitted to ServiTech Laboratories during 2011 to 2022, inclusive, for analysis of irrigation water suitability. The results are grouped by National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA-NASS) reporting districts.
¶ Figure 1. Nebraska USDA-NASS Districts
Interpretation of survey results:
- Median = 50th percentile
- Typical range = 25th and 75th percentiles
- Low - High = 5th and 95th percentiles
¶ Table 1. Electrical Conductivity, EC mmho/cm |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 0.80 | 0.56 – 1.40 | 0.32 – 2.22 |
| North/Northeast | 0.85 | 0.68 – 0.93 | 0.22 – 1.63 |
| Central | 0.95 | 0.62 – 1.30 | 0.34 – 2.06 |
| East | 0.74 | 0.55 – 1.05 | 0.14 – 6.98 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 0.67 | 0.46 – 0.97 | 0.09 – 2.53 |
| Southeast | 0.73 | 0.55 – 1.09 | 0.32 – 2.77 |
| Statewide | 0.73 | 0.52 – 1.09 | 0.21 – 2.80 |
¶ Table 2. Sodium Adsorption Ratio, Adjusted (SARa) |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 2.3 | 0.8 – 7.2 | 0.2 – 49.4 |
| North/Northeast | 0.8 | 0.6 – 1.1 | 0.3 – 3.5 |
| Central | 2.0 | 1.1 – 2.9 | 0.4 – 10.6 |
| East | 1.8 | 1.0 – 4.0 | 0.2 – 11.4 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 1.1 | 0.3 – 2.9 | 0.1 – 9.2 |
| Southeast | 1.8 | 1.1 – 5.5 | 0.6 – 23.5 |
| Statewide | 1.6 | 0.8 – 3.7 | 0.2 – 16.1 |
¶ Table 3. Chloride, Cl mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 28 | 15 – 47 | 4 – 170 |
| North/Northeast | 5 | 3 – 12 | 2 – 54 |
| Central | 26 | 9 – 37 | 2 – 111 |
| East | 18 | 10 – 46 | 4 – 600 |
| Southwest | ---- | ||
| South | 21 | 12 – 34 | 4 – 419 |
| Southeast | 25 | 13 – 56 | 6 – 630 |
| Statewide | 21 | 12 – 44 | 4 – 478 |
¶ Table 4. Sodium, Na mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 51 | 23 – 160 | 4 – 380 |
| North/Northeast | 24 | 15 – 30 | 6 – 138 |
| Central | 51 | 17 – 77 | 8 – 228 |
| East | 41 | 20 – 98 | 7 – 328 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 25 | 7 – 59 | 3 – 222 |
| Southeast | 38 | 24 – 86 | 13 – 440 |
| Statewide | 34 | 18 – 76 | 6 – 350 |
¶ Table 5. Calcium, Ca mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 70 | 47 – 104 | 5 – 160 |
| North/Northeast | 115 | 92 – 130 | 27 – 234 |
| Central | 120 | 77 – 160 | 44 – 307 |
| East | 92 | 59 – 120 | 7 – 207 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 81 | 55 – 120 | 12 – 232 |
| Southeast | 87 | 62 – 111 | 35 – 180 |
| Statewide | 89 | 60 – 120 | 17 – 203 |
¶ Table 6. Magnesium, Mg lb/ac-ft |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 46 | 25 – 77 | 4 – 146 |
| North/Northeast | 84 | 63 – 90 | 10 – 137 |
| Central | 63 | 35 – 97 | 15 – 173 |
| East | 44 | 30 – 71 | 5 – 257 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 35 | 22 – 54 | 5 – 191 |
| Southeast | 35 | 29 – 54 | 16 – 128 |
| Statewide | 38 | 27 – 63 | 8 – 163 |
¶ Table 7. Potassium, K as lb/ac-ft |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 16 | 11 – 24 | 4 – 135 |
| North/Northeast | 14 | 11 – 19 | 8 – 49 |
| Central | 24 | 16 – 42 | 13 – 156 |
| East | 19 | 14 – 30 | 5 – 80 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 16 | 11 – 27 | 3 – 67 |
| Southeast | 16 | 11 – 22 | 7 – 45 |
| Statewide | 16 | 11 – 24 | 5 – 60 |
¶ Table 8. Sulfate-sulfur, SO4-S as lb/ac-ft |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 102 | 36 – 243 | 1 – 499 |
| North/Northeast | 93 | 41 – 108 | 7 – 655 |
| Central | 133 | 16 – 226 | 0 – 952 |
| East | 52 | 30 – 125 | 2 – 653 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 48 | 26 – 139 | 3 – 638 |
| Southeast | 46 | 24 – 92 | 10 – 354 |
| Statewide | 49 | 25 – 120 | 3 – 526 |
¶ Table 9. Boron, B as lb/ac-ft |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 0.24 | 0.14 – 0.42 | 0.08 – 4.35 |
| North/Northeast | 0.24 | 0.19 – 0.41 | 0.09 – 1.34 |
| Central | 0.27 | 0.15 – 0.71 | 0.13 – 1.41 |
| East | 0.24 | 0.14 – 0.68 | 0.05 – 2.29 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 0.16 | 0.08 – 0.33 | 0.05 – 1.37 |
| Southeast | 0.22 | 0.14 – 0.41 | 0.08 – 1.47 |
| Statewide | 0.22 | 0.14 – 0.41 | 0.05 – 1.85 |
¶ Table 10. Nitrate-nitrogen, NO3-N mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 2.0 | 0.5 – 5.3 | 0.2 – 19.0 |
| North/Northeast | 2.0 | 0.2 – 4.9 | 0.1 – 20.3 |
| Central | 3.4 | 0.3 – 17.0 | 0.1 – 31.8 |
| East | 2.6 | 0.2 – 10.7 | 0.1 – 22.7 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 6.9 | 0.5 – 19.0 | 0.2 – 32.2 |
| Southeast | 3.4 | 0.2 – 7.5 | 0.2 – 15.9 |
| Statewide | 3.8 | 0.2 – 10.0 | 0.2 – 27.0 |
¶ Table 11. Bicarbonate, HCO3, lime equivalent as lb/ac-ft |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 515 | 380 – 670 | 165 – 1560 |
| North/Northeast | 870 | 715 – 960 | 170 – 1080 |
| Central | 780 | 645 – 915 | 370 – 1405 |
| East | 645 | 490 – 825 | 20 – 1150 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 470 | 245 – 645 | 50 – 1120 |
| Southeast | 670 | 535 – 825 | 355 – 1055 |
| Statewide | 625 | 425 – 805 | 85 – 1115 |
¶ Table 12. Iron, Fe mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 0.08 | 0.05 – 0.43 | 0.05 – 67.73 |
| North/Northeast | 0.05 | 0.05 – 0.16 | 0.05 – 3.36 |
| Central | 0.07 | 0.05 – 0.81 | 0.05 – 5.49 |
| East | 0.11 | 0.05 – 0.62 | 0.05 – 2.46 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 0.06 | 0.05 – 0.50 | 0.05 – 10.90 |
| Southeast | 0.19 | 0.05 – 0.87 | 0.05 – 3.90 |
| Statewide | 0.11 | 0.05 – 0.69 | 0.05 – 4.54 |
¶ Table 13. Manganese, Mn mg/L |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 0.016 | 0.007 – 0.057 | 0.005 – 0.786 |
| North/Northeast | 0.072 | 0.005 – 0.554 | 0.005 – 2.590 |
| Central | 0.035 | 0.005 – 0.310 | 0.005 – 1.103 |
| East | 0.027 | 0.005 – 0.230 | 0.005 – 0.856 |
| Southwest | ---- | ---- | ---- |
| South | 0.013 | 0.005 – 0.110 | 0.005 – 2.230 |
| Southeast | 0.055 | 0.005 – 0.273 | 0.005 – 1.375 |
| Statewide | 0.026 | 0.005 – 0.220 | 0.005 – 1.300 |
¶ Table 14. Water pH |
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| Nebraska Districts | Median | Typical range | Low - High |
| Northwest | 8.0 | 7.8 – 8.4 | 5.5 – 8.7 |
| North/Northeast | 8.0 | 7.9 – 8.1 | 7.6 – 8.5 |
| Central | 8.0 | 7.6 – 8.1 | 7.3 – 8.5 |
| East | 7.9 | 7.6 – 8.2 | 6.5 – 8.4 |
| Southwest | ---- | ||
| South | 7.8 | 7.5 – 8.0 | 6.5 – 8.2 |
| Southeast | 7.8 | 7.5 – 8.1 | 7.2 – 8.3 |
| Statewide | 7.9 | 7.6 – 8.1 | 7.0 – 8.3 |
¶ Table 15. Conversion Factors |
| 1 mg/L ≈ 1 ppm |
| 1 mg/L = 1,000 µg/L |
| 1 mmho/cm = 1 dS/m |
| 1 mmho/cm = 1,000 µmho/cm lb/ac-in = mg/L x 0.2267 lb/ac-ft = mg/L x 2.7204 |
| lime equivalent, lb/ac-ft = HCO3 mg/L x 2.2304 |
| 1 acre-inch = 27,154 gallons |
| 1 acre-foot = 325,848 gallons |
¶ Table 16. Sample Count |
|
| Northwest | 28 |
| North/Northeast | 23 |
| Central | 43 |
| East | 167 |
| Southwest | ---- |
| South | 256 |
| Southeast | 334 |
| Statewide | 851 |