James W. Goeke
Hi, I’m Jim Goeke, and I’m a hydrogeologist in the School of Natural Resources. My appointment is in the Conservation and Survey Division, the state geological, geographic, water and soil survey, and I’m stationed at the West-Central Research and Extension Center in North Platte.
My main research interests have to do with the groundwater of central and southwestern Nebraska, groundwater management, particularly under conditions of scarcity, and the age of the Sand Hills. Some key research projects I’ve been involved with have to do with gathering data for modeling of the unconfined aquifers near the Platte River in the central Platte region and similar stream-aquifer studies in the Republican River valley.
One of my long-term and major scholarly service efforts has been assisting the locally controlled natural resources districts (NRDs) in the west-central part of the state in devising and implementing groundwater management plans. Required by state law, these plans help them determine how they want to manage their groundwater reservoir. In particular, the Upper Republican NRD in far southwestern Nebraska has been challenged by declining water tables and water restrictions, including groundwater metering and a moratorium on well-drilling. Since the late 1970s, I’ve worked closely with this NRD to help them adjust to these stresses. I’ve also assisted the Middle Republican and the Twin Platte NRDs with their groundwater management concerns.
Other scholarly service includes being a state Attorney General’s expert witness for the Republican River basin in litigation with Kansas over allocations from that river. I am currently the state representative for the Ogallala Aquifer Institute of Garden City, Kansas, and the UNL liaison to the Nebraska Well Drillers Association, an organization that Conservation and Survey helped found. I work closely with the U.S. Geological Survey on the High Plains Regional Aquifer System Analysis (RASA) and the High Plains National Water Quality Assessment (NAWQA) programs. I also run an acid rain monitoring station as part of the National Atmospheric Deposition Program, and monitor dioxin in the atmosphere in conjunction with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In outreach, I’ve been involved with Lincoln-based Groundwater Foundation’s board and educational events and the High Plains Water Expo and the Water Riches field days, both sponsored by the Lincoln County Extension office. I also often give talks for schools or at community events regarding groundwater geology and Nebraska’s groundwater resource.
In 1995, with Keith Blackledge, then editor of the North Platte Telegraph, I was awarded the “Friends of the Forest” award from the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum, and the State Forester’s Award that same year from the Nebraska Forest Service, both for securing grants to fund local tree planting. In addition, the Groundwater Foundation recognized me with the 2001 Maurice Kremer award.
I’ve been at UNL since 1970, and I received my bachelor’s from the University of Wisconsin in 1966 and my master’s from Colorado State University in 1970.
Personnel Information
| Name | James W. Goeke |
| University Title | Professor |
| Address | Rt. 4, PO Box 46A, North Platte NE 69101 |
| Affiliation (index) | WCREC |
| Phone | 308-696-6704 |
| Fax | 308-532-3823 |
| jgoeke1@unl.edu | |
| Related Websites | n/a |
Go to Jim's Full Profile
Key Publications
- Chen, X.H., J. Goeke, J.F. Ayers and S. Summerside. 2003. The observation well network design for pumping tests in unconfined aquifers. Journal of the American Water Resources Association. 39:17-32.
- Chen, X.H., J. Goeke, and S. Summerside. 1999. Hydraulic properties and uncertainty analysis for an unconfined alluvial aquifer. Ground Water. 37(6):845-854.
- Gosselin, D.C., S. Drda, F. E. Harvey, and J. Goeke. 1999. Hydrologic Dynamics of Two Interdunal Valleys in the Central Sand Hills Nebraska. Ground Water. 37:924-933.
- Chen, X.-H., J. Goeke and S. Summerside. 1998. Geology, Hydrogeology and Aquifer Hydraulic Properties from Five Test Sites in the Republican River Valley, Nebraska. Contract Report for Nebraska Department of Water Resources.
- Goeke, J.W. 1992. Hydrogeology of Parts of the Twin Platte and Middle Republican Natural Resources Districts Southwestern Nebraska. Nebraska Water Survey. (79):79.
