2018 Airborne Electromagnetic (AEM) Surveys

The six eastern Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) conducted AEM flights in June and July 2018 using Water Sustainability Fund (WSF) grant dollars awarded to ENWRA in November 2017.   Each NRD had a mix of the following types of surveys flown:   

  • block flights (tightly spaced flight lines for determining aquifer boundaries and/or potential groundwater volumes)      
  • transect/tie line flights (longer reconnaissance type flight lines)  
  • grid flights (hybrid of reconnaissance and detailed type surveys, aquifer boundary mapping)

The preflight work was very critical the success of the AEM survey and included the following planning activities: mapping out flight lines to avoid infrastructure and potential interferences (approximately 11,000 line kilometers/6,835 miles), equipment/personnel mobilization, helicopter fueling and ferrying logistics, background data gathering, submission of news releases to the media and general public, and contracting

Click here for a link to Omaha KMTV Channel 3's July 2, 2018 news coverage at the Wahoo airport. Click here for video footage of the equipment in flight just outside of the Scribner airport. Click here for a link to News Channel Nebraska's July 17, 2018 news coverage at the Pender airport.

The first chapter report providing the survey results within the Lower Elkhorn NRD  was completed on December 31, 2018.  The remaining NRD chapter reports were delivered throughout 2019 with the final chapter report for the Lower Platte South NRD completed December 4, 2019.  Report download links for each of the ENWRA NRD chapter reports are available as individual sections organized by NRD on this page.  Click here for a PDF of the overarching ENWRA chapter report summarizing the 2018 AEM Survey effort.  

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map image of 2018 AEM survey lines

Lewis and Clark NRD 2018 AEM Survey

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Lower Elkhorn NRD 2018 AEM Survey

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Lower Platte North NRD 2018 AEM Surveys

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Lower Platte South NRD 2018 AEM Survey

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Nemaha NRD 2018 AEM Survey (see 2023 AEM for updated 2018 data)

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Papio-Missouri River NRD 2018 AEM Survey (see 2020 AEM for updated 2018 data)

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