Land — Great Plains — NE
Water rights, rainwater law, cottage food rules, right-to-farm protections, livestock zoning, and growing conditions for Nebraska landowners and buyers.
Land law varies by county, municipality, and HOA. Verify all information with your county planning department, state water agency, and a licensed attorney before any land purchase or development decision.
Water law
Hybrid: prior appropriation for surface water; correlative rights for groundwater administered through 23 Natural Resources Districts (NRDs). Contact your local NRD for groundwater regulations.
No state restrictions. Collection permitted without limit.
Land use and production law
Nebraska Cottage Food Law: $75,000 gross annual cap; direct consumer, farmers markets, and online sales; label required. Verify with Nebraska Department of Agriculture.
Nebraska Right to Farm Act (Neb. Rev. Stat. §2-4401) protects established agricultural operations.
Rural counties very permissive. Douglas County (Omaha suburbs) and Lancaster County (Lincoln suburbs) have residential zone restrictions.
Growing conditions
Hardiness zones
4a (Panhandle highlands) – 6a (southeast)
Last frost
May 15 (Panhandle) – Apr 15 (southeast)
First frost
Sep 15 (Panhandle) – Oct 15 (southeast)
Free soil testing
Nebraska Extension — click to visit
Soil notes
Deep, fertile Mollisols across most of Nebraska. Sandy soils in the Sandhills. The Ogallala Aquifer underlies much of the state and is the primary irrigation source.