November 16-17, 2026

(rain dates Nov 17-18, or 18-19)

Geology and Hydrogeology of the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District and its Environs

Presented by:

Shane Tucker, Paul Hanson, Katie Cameron, Rick Otto and Doug Hallum,

Program Background

Within and near the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District (LENRD), this field trip will review the distribution and ages of various State Museum fossil locales in the region as well as their stratigraphic positions, examine and discuss depositional environments and their timing, geology, stratigraphy, and hydrogeology, provide an overview of the geology and hydrogeology in the field trip area, and illustrate how the hydrostratigraphic framework and depositional sequence impacts the hydrogeology and hydrology of the Lower Elkhorn River, its tributaries and its relationships to land use and irrigation distribution in the District. This program includes an auto tour with four stops one day and five stops on another day and will include 13 hours of content (six hours on day 1 and seven hours on day 2). Presentations and discussions include topics relating to soils and critical zone processes, alluvium and other regolith, Cretaceous and younger bedrock, aerial and fluvial depositional environments, water quality and quantity concerns and monitoring, soil and groundwater management, fossil assemblages and their occurrence in the region, hydrology and hydrogeology of the Elkhorn River within the context of adjacent watersheds, and lithostratigraphy of Cretaceous to recent strata

Tentative Schedule (all times Central)

Day 1:

7:30                        Start at West Point, NE, 41°49'36.20"N, 96°42'33.05"W (Bomgaar’s parking lot, 1300 S Lincoln St) – field trip orientation, safety and logistics (15 minutes).

8:00 (1.5 hr)        West Point Pit, 41°49'46.95"N, 96°42'45.85"W – Begin with a general orientation to the field trip area and geologic section, illustrate the foundational data upon which the hydrostratigraphic framework is based, and share ways that foundational data is used at the LENRD. View and discuss composition of fluvial sediments produced at the facility with a particular view to the mineralogy and possible provenance of pebbles and cobbles, found fossils and their ages, comparisons with test hole and driller’s log descriptions of nearby test holes and registered wells, and framework developed from borings and AEM.

10:15 (1.5 hr)      Pilger Borrow, 42°1'52.28"N, 97°1'5.11"W - View and discuss the borrow of fill material for the US Hwy 275 project and examine the excavation scar where Peoria Loess, glacial diamicton, and alluvial sands and gravel are exposed at the surface. Compare exposed strata with test hole and driller’s log descriptions from nearby test holes and registered wells and framework developed from borings and AEM. Discuss paleontological specimens collected from the abandoned gravel pits just east of this deposit and review University of Nebraska State Museum locales in the field trip area.

12:00                     Lunch – location TBD (Pilger rec, Pilger wayside, Maskenthine, TaHaZouka/Cowboy Trail)

13:15 (1 hr)          Matteo Sand and Gravel, 41°59'59.68"N, 97°26'28.69"W - View and discuss composition of alluvial sediments produced at the facility with a particular view to the mineralogy and provenance of pebbles and cobbles, fossils found and their ages, and comparisons with test hole and driller’s log descriptions of nearby test holes and registered wells and framework developed from borings and AEM.

14:45 (2 hr)          Yellowbanks WMA, 42 2'41.85"N, 97°40'12.45"W - View and discuss composition and depositional environment of undocumented alluvium and/or aeolian sediments exposed in the Elkhorn River valley sidewall, discuss uncertainty regarding its age, search out and discuss depositional features and/or fossils that may serve as indicators of environment and/or age, and make comparisons to lithostratigraphic descriptions from nearby test holes and/or wells to understand the spatial resolution of existing geologic data. Discuss geomorphology and modern erosion processes in map view and observe nearby landforms that exhibit the features seen on the map.

16:45                     End of Day 1 – Lodge in Norfolk, NE

Day 2:

7:00 am                Start at Orchard City Park, 42°20'6.11"N, 98°14'42.29"W, 605 W (226 W 2nd St, Orchard, NE 68764), day 2 orientation, safety and logistics (5 minutes).

7:15 (1 hr)            Mitteis Pit, 42°22'23.17"N, 98°14'23.32"W – View and discuss composition of alluvial sediments produced at the facility with a particular view to the mineralogy and provenance of pebbles, fossils found and their ages, and comparisons with test hole and driller’s log descriptions of nearby test holes and registered wells along with the aquifer framework developed from borings and AEM.

8:30 (3 hr)            Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park, 42°25'18.61"N, 98°9'22.28"W – Explore the exhibits in the Visitor Center, experience a guided tour of the Hubbard Rhino Barn, learn about the ash fall and volcano that created it, explore the trail to discover and discuss geological context and stratigraphic context of the Ashfall and other ash deposits in the region.

11:30                     Lunch – location TBD (Ashfall Fossil Beds, Grove Lake)

12:45 (1 hr)          Grove Lake WMA, 42°22'28.40"N, 98° 7'11.72"W - View and discuss composition of aeolian sediments and airfall ash exposed in the walls of the incised valley of the East Branch Verdigre Creek,and make comparisons to descriptions from nearby test holes and driller’s logs.

15:00 (1 hr)          Hartington Pit, 42°35'42.71"N, 97°17'30.86"W - View and discuss composition of glacio-fluvial sediments produced at the facility with a particular view to the mineralogy and provenance of pebbles, fossils found and their ages, and comparisons with test hole and driller’s log descriptions of nearby test holes and registered wells along with the aquifer framework developed from borings and AEM.

16:45 (1 hr)          Vadose Study Site 2, 42°20'29.01"N, 96°59'53.30"W – Learn about the ongoing Nebraska Environmental Trust study “Observing Water and Nutrient Mobility in the Vadose Zone” within the context of the cumulative geological and hydrogeological framework of the Lower Elkhorn Natural Resources District that was illustrated during the field trip, discuss uncertainty in the foundational data, how additional data may refine our interpretations, and weigh the value created when data from several perspectives or scales are interpreted holistically. Identify spatial and temporal scales at which additional data may be required to answer specific technical or political questions.

17:45                     Travel home

Leaders

Shane Tucker earned a B.S. and M.S. in geology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. He studied under the direction of Dr. Mike Voorhies focusing on the geology and paleontology of a six million-year old site within the Niobrara River Valley. He serves as Nebraska's Highway Paleontologist and directs the state's Highway Paleontology Program, a cooperative effort between the University of Nebraska State Museum and Nebraska Department of Transportation. He evaluates proposed highway projects for potential impact to paleontological resources, monitors active road construction, and collects fossils threatened by construction. Since highway construction takes place all over the state, Tucker is extremely knowledgeable about Nebraska geology and paleontology.

Dr. Paul Hanson is a Professor in UNL's School of Natural Resources, and is Director of the Great Plains Cooperative Ecosystems Studies Unit. He is associated with the geography/GIScience faculty and the geology and soils faculty. Professor Hanson’s main research interests are studying the responses of river, hillslope, and eolian (wind-deposited) systems to climate change. His research goals include studying the evolution of the Platte River system, the responses of rivers and dune systems to climate change in the recent past, and the causes for stream incision on the western Great Plains and the central Rocky Mountains.

Katie Cameron is a Survey Hydrogeologist with the UNL Conservation and Survey Division (CSD) and coordinates for the Eastern Nebraska Water Resources Assessment (ENWRA) Project coalition. Katie is a licensed Professional Geologist in Nebraska (license G-0283) and serves as the CSD representative on the Nebraska Water Well Standards and Contractors' Licensing Board, after previously serving as an alternate for over a decade. Her work focuses primarily on test hole drilling and handling geophysical and geological survey datasets to support groundwater management and aquifer framework mapping in eastern Nebraska. Prior to joining CSD, Katie spent over 13 years gaining consulting experience as a Project Geologist covering areas in Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming (license PG-3767).

Rick Otto is the retired Superintendent of the Ashfall Fossil Beds State Historical Park. During a 40-year tenure with the University of Nebraska State Museum, Rick worked several years as a field assistant and curatorial assistant at Ashfall and other localities in the Niobrara River Valley. Thirty-three of those years were dedicated to all aspects of management of the Ashfall Site. Responsibilities at the Ashfall Site included excavation and exposure of fossil skeletons in an in-situ setting, recording stratigraphic data, recording sedimentary structures, and facilitating research projects. An essential component of his responsibilities was training and supervising geology students participating in internships, with interns expected to demonstrate competence in field techniques, and the interpretation of local geology and paleontology for the public. Rick was mentored in Nebraska geology and paleontology by Dr. Michael Voorhies, both in the classroom and the field.

Doug Hallum is Water Resources Manager for the LENRD. He practices in Nebraska, and is Vice-President of the Nebraska Geological Society, a hydrogeologist, licensed professional geologist (license G-0323) and a registered well drilling contractor (ID# H D R 99030). He was involved in the development of five Integrated Management plans in the Platte River watershed as well as the design and construction of the COHYST 2010 water accounting model used for Integrated Water Management planning in that region. He spent more than a decade conducting research, scholarly service, and education and outreach in west-central Nebraska and beyond, and now works to develop strategies for the LENRD to assess and expand available information to improve regulatory, planning, water quantity, and water quality outcomes in the LENRD.

NGS has submitted an application the Water Well Standards and Contractors Licensing Board for 13 continuing education units for the trip. Six on Day 1, and seven on Day 2. The next Board meeting is scheduled for October 28, 2026.