Question

How to add value to water

Answer 1

Adding value to water through more informed decisions

Whether it's precipitation, soil moisture or ET, measuring technology helps make more informed decisions to add value to water that's used or consumed.

Editor’s note: This article is the latest in a series discussing water consumption and use from a supply perspective and as it relates to watershed management concepts. This series will be produced in connection with the Nebraska Water Balance Alliance (NEWBA) and several of its associates.

It was management consultant Peter Drucker who was first credited with the quote, "If you can't measure it, you can't improve it." Like any business, that statement rings true for anyone involved in production agriculture — and probably now more than ever.

As Sutherland area farmer and NEWBA member Roric Paulman notes, "We're going to be challenged from every aspect to add value to the water we use and consume."

In previous articles in this series, we've explored water consumption and use, and possible methods to address unnecessary consumption at the watershed level. But what are the primary drivers of consumption and use, and how can we measure them to help make more informed decisions to benefit the watershed? Fortunately, growers, Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) and other stakeholders now have a range of tools at their disposal to achieve these goals.

NEWBA's primary focus is to identify new and emerging technologies that measure and apply processes to help understand and adopt water balance concepts that can improve water utilization for production agriculture and other water needs.