In response to rising groundwater nitrogen levels, the Lower Loup NRD Board of Directors is considering implementing a Phase II designation for a portion of Wheeler County. Phase II designation means that water samples taken by the Lower Loup NRD showed median nitrate-nitrogen levels of greater than 6.5 parts per million (ppm) for 4 years in a row.
The Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level for nitrates in groundwater is 10 ppm. The LLNRD Board is proposing controls in order to prevent nitrate-nitrogen levels in groundwater from reaching that level. Exposure to high nitrate levels in drinking water are linked to pediatric cancers, other cancers, methemoglobinemia (Blue Baby Syndrome), and other disease.
A public meeting will be held to present information and take questions from interested members of the public on the LLNRD Board of Directors’ proposal to consolidate townships 22N-09W, 22N-10W, 22N-11W, 22N-12W, and 23N-12W into one Phase II Water Quality Management Area.
The public information meeting will take place on January 13, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. at the Wheeler County Fairgrounds in Bartlett. A formal hearing will be scheduled for February.
Impacted/interested operators/landowners should plan to attend. Direct questions to the Lower Loup NRD, (308) 728-3221
