8 Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
•
2019 Annual Report
An aerial photo shows Randall Schilling Wildlife Management Area in Cass County, and massive flooding on the Missouri and
Platte rivers.
Many repairs have taken place. Some WMAs will never be the same. Spencer Dam was
significantly impacted with the loss of all infrastructure including all roads to the area. The
Platte River changed course and now runs across Schilling WMA. The plan is to restore the flow
of the Platte to its original course. Some repairs may include relocation of facilities to protect
from future flooding.
WILDLIFE ̐ Impacts to wildlife were believed to be minimal, but many animals, including
furbearers, were displaced in the short-term from river corridors. Reports of deer drowning and
other wildlife deaths were few. The blizzard that set off the initial flooding caused some mule
deer deaths. Normal population surveys along with aerial surveys of the impacted areas have
shown very little impact from the flooding overall to wildlife populations. Some of the habitat
in flooded areas may be changed for a long time to come as some areas remain flooded today.
