Nebraska water rights

192,538 rights at 192,577 points of diversion in 93 counties · fetched October 8, 2026 from Nebraska Department of Water, Energy, and Environment

Open Nebraska on the mapHow Nebraska water rights work
Groundwater
183,671
Surface water
8,867

In Nebraska's data, 183,780 records carry no priority date, 22 have coordinates outside Nebraska's county lines. Why

Nebraska at a glance

Surface water
Prior appropriation, permits from DWEE
Groundwater
Correlative rights, managed by 23 natural resources districts
Well registration
Within 60 days of completion (wells completed since July 1, 2001)
Surface nonuse
More than five consecutive years can lead to termination
Deeds
Surface water rights are not recorded with the deed

Counties

Counties come from where each right's first point of diversion falls on Census county lines.

Oldest priority dates in Nebraska

Seniority is weighed among rights on the same stream system, so this is where the oldest records are rather than a statewide ranking.

Priority date · senior to junior

  • Before 1880
  • 1880–1899
  • 1900–1919
  • 1920–1949
  • 1950–1972
  • 1973–1999
  • 2000 and later
  • No priority date