Omaha District invests in 35 new Nebraska mesonet monitoring stations

Nearly 100 people gathered Sept. 23, 2026, at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln’s East Campus for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the installation of 35 new U.S. Army Corps of Engineers-funded mesonet stations. The installation makes Nebraska the second state in the Upper Missouri River Basin to complete a modern mesonet network.

A mesonet is a network of automated weather monitoring systems funded by public and private partners. Mesonet data will help USACE more accurately manage water levels as part of the Upper Missouri River Basin Plains Snowpack and Soil Moisture Monitoring Network, and the new stations will also provide local weather data in areas that previously lacked it.

The event took place near the university’s flagship Nebraska mesonet station and pollinator gardens. Guests had the opportunity to view the instrument array, solar panels and anemometer located near a field of corn and read several informational posters prior to the ceremony.

“The University of Nebraska – Lincoln is a land grant university, and that means our research does not belong in a building,” said Katherine Ankerson, interim chancellor of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “It belongs wherever Nebraskans are making decisions. The Nebraska mesonet is that promise made physical.” Ankerson touted USACE for the funding support invested in the installation of 35 new state-of-the-art stations, bringing Nebraska’s mesonet total to 104 stations reporting air temperature, rainfall, humidity, soil moisture, crop water use and wildfire risk.

The Omaha District is helping to fund the Upper Missouri River Basin-wide initiative spanning more than 270,000 square miles in coordination with university partners in Nebraska, South Dakota, North Dakota, Wyoming and Montana, as well as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other federal, state and local community partners.

By the end of this month, USACE estimates approximately 446 monitoring stations will be online toward a target of 540. When the 540-station basin network is completed, it will stand as one of the most comprehensive, regional, environmental monitoring systems in the country.

“This is a unique project for us to do a ribbon cutting, because not only are we involved in the implementation of the project, but we are also customers of the data that they are going to provide,” said Lt. Col. Natalie Mallue, USACE Omaha District deputy commander. “We're really excited to see how these monitoring stations close out data gaps, support agriculture, assist tribal nations in areas where there has been a desert of data, and aid emergency responders.”

Each mesonet station operates 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, transmitting observations every five minutes. Once completed, the network’s real-time data will enhance the Omaha District’s Water Management Program, informing dam operations, reservoir storage and runoff models across the Missouri River system.

“By feeding that real-time soil saturation, frost depth directly into our own hydrological engineering center modeling systems, we get to adjust reservoir storage, coordinate downstream levee systems, and inform local communities well ahead of rising water,” Mallue said.

The stations collect atmospheric data, including air temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, barometric pressure, precipitation and snowpack depth. They also measure soil temperature and moisture at five standard depths.

“On any given afternoon, a rancher, an emergency manager working a flood, and a fire crew holding a line, all reach for the same data, for entirely different reasons,” Ankerson said. “Lieutenant Colonel Mallue, to you and the Omaha District, thank you. That investment did not just add equipment. It closed real gaps on the map.”

In Nebraska, the current 104 mesonet stations installed are all working toward the state’s goal to provide weather data from within 12 miles of every Nebraskan.

Suzanne Fortin, meteorologist in charge at the Omaha/Valley National Weather Service station said their fundamental mission, shared closely with the many partners present at the ceremony, is to protect life and property and preserve economic resources.

“To fulfill that mission, we rely every single day on the 104 sites that encompass the Nebraska mesonet,” Fortin said. “This rich observational network directly feeds into our weather forecast models and our forecast and warning operations for fire weather, winter storms, aviation safety, heavy rainfall affecting area rivers, and severe weather.”

Nebraska follows North Dakota as the second state to establish statewide coverage, marking a major milestone toward completion of the Upper Missouri River Basin mesonet network.

“Nebraska’s mesonet stations are a vital pillar of a regional shield,” Mallue said. “By investing in infrastructure like this, we have delivered a durable asset that protects lives, strengthens water management and will serve the heartland for generations to come.”

Work in South Dakota, Wyoming and Montana is ongoing and is scheduled to conclude by the end of 2027. The ceremony concluded with the ribbon-cutting and University of Nebraska Dairy Store ice cream as nearby sensors continued recording wind and soil observations on their five-minute cycle.

Legal Disclaimer:

EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.