Yonts Water Conference: A 2026 outlook on irrigation, weather, and more
Yonts Water Conference: A 2026 outlook on irrigation, weather, and more
By Forrest Hershberger(Goshen/Gering - Fort Laramie Irrigation District’s Tunnel No. 2 before work started on it this spring. The Yonts Water Conference will have an update on its progress. Photo by Gary Stone)
By Gary Stone, Nebraska Extension Educator
SCOTTSBLUFF -- The Nebraska Extension will host the 2026 Yonts Water Conference on Wednesday, April 8, beginning at 8:45 a.m., at the Panhandle Research, Extension, and Education Center.
Topics for this year’s conference include water management research updates and ACREE, a new irrigation water management app for growers’ irrigation water scheduling from Dr. Xin Qiao, Nebraska Extension, Irrigation Management and Engineering Specialist. ACREE is an irrigation scheduling tool, specifically designed for producers who don't have access to soil moisture probes.
“The key advantage of this scheduler is its ability to track daily crop water use specific to a field location, providing more precise and timely irrigation guidance,” Qiao said.
Other topics include nitrogen levels in the North Platte River by Anni Poetzl, Nebraska Extension Water Quality Educator, and an update from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Wyoming Area office representatives on the snowpack/runoff and irrigation water estimates for the North Platte River basin. An update on the progress on the Tunnel No. 2 replacement, and Don Day will provide the weather outlook for the 2026 spring/summer season.
Registration is not required but appreciated. Call 308-632-1230.
The agenda is as follows:
8:45 – 9 a.m. - Registration - Coffee & Rolls
9 – 9:15 a.m. - NET Pilot Soil Sampling / Best Management Practices - North Platte Natural Resources District
9:15 – 9:40 a.m. - ACREE App & PHREEC Irrigation & Digital Ag Lab Research Update - Dr. Xin Qiao, Biological Systems Engineering
9:40 – 10:10 a.m. - Managing Nitrogen Applications in the North Platte NRD - Anni Poetzl, Nebraska Extension Water Quality Educator
10:10 – 10:40 a.m. - 2026 Spring Snowpack & Runoff Water Update - U.S. Bureau of Reclamation Personnel
10:40 – 11:10 a.m. - Goshen / Gering – Fort Laramie Irrigation District’s Tunnel Replacement Update - HDR Engineering, Cory Freeman; Kevin Strecker, General Manager; Goshen Irrigation District Scott Hort, General Manager, Gering – Fort Laramie Irrigation District
11:10 – 11:40 a.m. - 2026 Spring / Summer Weather Outlook - Don Day, DayWeather Podcast
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Nebraska Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. Nebraska Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture.