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Hi3 Water

Nebraska Water Assets

Great Plains

Nebraska sits atop the best-recharged portion of the Ogallala Aquifer and uses correlative rights for groundwater, making it unique among western states.

Correlative Rights93 counties tracked2084 active alerts
67,710
Total Assets
54.5
Avg WIS
35,178
Verified
2,083
High WIS (75+)

Nebraska Water Intelligence Report

Hi3 Water tracks 67,710 water assets across Nebraska, spanning 93 counties and 7 distinct asset types. The average Water Intelligence Score (WIS) across Nebraska is 54.5/100, with 2,083 assets scoring in the high-value range (75+). Nebraska operates under Correlative Rights water law, which directly affects water rights acquisition and asset valuation in this state.

The dominant water asset type in Nebraska is Well (32,480 assets, avg WIS 47.2). The highest concentration is in Holt County with 1,613 tracked assets.

2,084 active regulatory alerts are currently tracked in Nebraska, including EPA violations, drought declarations, and state water board enforcement actions. Always check the regulatory intelligence for any asset before making acquisition decisions.

Data sources: USGS Water Data, EPA ECHO, state water boards, and verified field reports. Water Intelligence Scores are computed across flow rate, geological stability, legal accessibility, sustainability, and rarity. Report last updated: June 29, 2026.

Asset Types in Nebraska

Well
32,480
Avg WIS 47.2
River
30,225
Avg WIS 62.6
Reservoir
2,973
Avg WIS 59.7
Lake
1,937
Avg WIS 42.1
Spring
92
Avg WIS 42.7
Aquifer
2
Avg WIS 71.5
Fossil Water
1
Avg WIS 82.0

Intelligence Grade Distribution

How Nebraska assets are graded

S (≥90) — Exceptional0 (0.0%)
A (75-89) — Excellent2,083 (3.1%)
B (55-74) — Good33,216 (49.1%)
C (35-54) — Fair32,411 (47.9%)
D (<35) — Limited0 (0.0%)

Regulatory Alerts

Drought, EPA violations, and enforcement actions affecting Nebraska

5
critical
29
high
2023
medium
27
low
0
info
Niobrara River at Niobrara, Nebr. — Gage Height 31.9 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Missouri River at Niobrara, Nebr. — Gage Height 16.2 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning
Shell Creek near Columbus, Nebr. — Gage Height 10.7 ft
usgs_flood · flood_warning

Top Counties in Nebraska

Holt
1,613 assetsWIS 44
Hamilton
1,559 assetsWIS 49
York
1,447 assetsWIS 48
Buffalo
1,424 assetsWIS 49
Hall
1,092 assetsWIS 49
Dawson
867 assetsWIS 54
Fillmore
822 assetsWIS 50
Scotts Bluff
769 assetsWIS 45
Lincoln
717 assetsWIS 47
Sheridan
680 assetsWIS 43
Keith
657 assetsWIS 46
Merrick
645 assetsWIS 52

Aquifer Type Mix

unconfined
8,703
Avg WIS 45
confined
210
Avg WIS 53
fossil
1
Avg WIS 82

Top 10 Water Assets in Nebraska

Ranked by Water Intelligence Score — Nebraska's highest-scoring springs, wells, and aquifers.

View all on map
  1. 1

    Ogallala Deep Well — Western Nebraska

    Fossil Water
    Chase County·1,200 GPM
    82
    WIS
  2. 2

    NE Well G-003213

    Well
    Valley County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  3. 3

    NE Well G-004156

    Well
    Blaine County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  4. 4

    NE Well G-003613

    Well
    Dawson County·1,200 GPM
    78
    WIS
  5. 5

    NE Well G-004831

    Well
    Box Butte County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  6. 6

    NE Well G-002323

    Well
    Buffalo County·1,200 GPM
    78
    WIS
  7. 7

    NE Well G-003502

    Well
    Sherman County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  8. 8

    NE Well G-004844

    Well
    Lincoln County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  9. 9

    NE Well G-005352

    Well
    Kearney County·1,000 GPM
    78
    WIS
  10. 10

    NE Well G-003980

    Well
    Lincoln County·1,200 GPM
    78
    WIS
Avg Flow Rate
210,887 GPM
Avg Depth
139 ft
For Sale
0
Fossil Water
1

Explore Nebraska on the Interactive Map

View all 67,710 water assets, aquifer boundaries, water rights data, and regulatory alerts for Nebraska.

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