June 02, 2004

LINCOLN, Neb. — When it comes to prioritizing water use, indoor residential and agriculture are tops for rural residents, according to the University of Nebraska's ninth annual Nebraska Rural Poll.

Water is a perennially hot issue in the state. This year's scientific survey included water-related questions to garner rural perspectives.

"I think water will be the new oil issue for the next generation," said John Allen, the rural sociologist from the university’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources who heads the poll. "It's important that we do all we can to understand how citizens view this valuable resource."

Respondents prioritized 15 uses of water ranging from domestic, agricultural and industrial to wildlife habitat, swimming pools and lawns.

Ninety-three percent of respondents ranked indoor use in existing homes as a high or medium priority, 90 percent said livestock use for drinking and waste management was a high or medium priority and 86 percent said irrigation for crops. Other leading high or medium priorities were: indoor use in new housing developments, 76 percent; providing food and refuge for fish, birds and other animals, 76 percent; and industrial use in existing businesses and new industrial uses, 75 percent and 70 percent, respectively.

"These priorities seem to reflect a hierarchy of needs among our rural people. If this were California, it would read differently," Allen said.

Surveys were mailed in February and March to 6,300 randomly selected households in Nebraska's 84 rural counties. Results are based on 2,915 responses.

These top priority uses include economic and environmental uses, he pointed out. They also fairly closely match rankings for Nebraska's existing water use preferences: domestic, agricultural and manufacturing/industrial.

"It looks like rural Nebraskans are saying they want a balanced approach to water use that provides water for agriculture but for other uses as well," Allen said. "That's a positive given the conflicts we've seen about how we use water."

Water for home swimming pools or golf courses and water transfers to other states rated lowest, garnering high priority rankings from only 2 percent, 3 percent and 5 percent of respondents, respectively.

Poll findings point to some water quality concerns. Nearly a third of respondents said they believe their domestic water quality has deteriorated in the past decade, 56 percent said it has not and 13 percent didn't know.

Agricultural chemicals led the list of contributing factors cited by people who reported water quality declines. Factors that respondents said influenced water quality to a great extent included: agricultural chemicals, 39 percent; lawn and landscaping chemicals, 22 percent; livestock waste, 21 percent; business and industry waste, 20 percent; and naturally occurring contamination, 10 percent.

Three-fourths of respondents said the amount of water available for domestic use has not been reduced in the past decade, 15 percent said it had and 9 percent didn't know.

Residents of the Panhandle, which has suffered several years of severe drought, were most likely to report the water quality and quantity declines, said Becky Vogt, the poll's manager. Thirty-seven percent reported water quality declines and 28 percent said less water was available.

Cyclical weather patterns (43 percent) and irrigation (39 percent) were leading culprits cited by those who reported declines in the amount of water available.

"Rural residents rate agriculture as a high priority for use but they have some concern about its impact on water," said Randy Cantrell, an IANR rural sociologist who works on the poll. In the future, those concerns could influence Nebraska crop and livestock production.

Looking ahead, 43 percent of respondents expect their water quality will remain about the same in the coming decade, 12 percent expect it will improve; 22 percent expect it to deteriorate slightly, 8 percent expect it to become unsafe for drinking and 15 percent don't know.

In the long run, water quality and quantity concerns might influence business recruiting, people's interest in moving to rural Nebraska and residents' willingness to invest public dollars in economic development that would increase water use, Allen and Cantrell said.

"These land use issues are going to be important out there," Allen said. "As a state, we may need to think about how to have compatible uses that don't deteriorate some of the quality of life that people seek while we maintain our vital agriculture. It's complex."

Poll results show rural Nebraskans are knowledgeable about water issues and are looking to balance competing water needs.

"These folks have thought this out. They are weighing the costs and benefits and trying to figure out how to do this," he said. "This indicates they aren't as polarized as some might think."

This could be positive for policy-makers, Cantrell said, "If you come up with a reasonable policy approach to deal with some of these issues, rural people are likely to understand and accept it."

The poll is the largest annual survey of rural Nebraskans' perceptions on quality of life and policy issues. This year's response rate was 47 percent. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percent.

Complete results are available online at Nebraska Rural Poll.

The poll is conducted by the university's Center for Applied Rural Innovation with funding from the Partnership for Rural Nebraska and IANR's Cooperative Extension Division and Agricultural Research Division.

6/2/04-VM

Contacts:

Becky Vogt
Center for Applied Rural Innovation
Nebraska Rural Poll Project Manager
(402) 329-4821

John Allen - Ph.D.
Rural Sociology
Professor
(402) 472-1772

Randy Cantrell - Ph.D.
Center for Applied Rural Innovation
Professor
(402) 472-1772

Vicki Miller
Research Communications Coordinator
(402) 472-3813

Department:
Center for Applied Rural Innovation