OutdoorNebraska

13 GUIDE TO NEBRASKA'S WETLANDS Statewide Wetland Resources A t the time of statehood in 1867, Nebraska contained an estimated 2,910,000 acres of wetlands covering about 6% of the state (Dahl 1990). Through much of the state's history, wetlands were viewed as an impediment to transportation, agriculture and development. The federal government actively encouraged the conversion of wetland areas to other uses through land giveaways, direct fi nancial assistance, technical assistance, crop subsidies and tax incentives. Wetlands have been affected directly by fi lling, ditching, tiling, digging concentration pits, channelization, water pollution and declining water tables, and indirectly by changes in the surrounding uplands that caused increased sedimentation into wetlands or the diversion of surface runoff away from wetlands. Wetlands and deeper water areas also were created in some regions due to the construction of farm and livestock ponds, and locally rising water tables due to irrigation canal and reservoir seepage. The net result of all these activities statewide was a reduction in wetlands from the 1780s to the 1980s by an estimated 35%, to 1,905,000 acres covering only 4% of the state (Dahl 1990). The destruction of wetlands was much higher in some regions of the state, but the statewide fi gure is buffered by the large wetland resources remaining in the Sandhills. Most states surrounding Nebraska have lost a greater percentage of their wetlands (Dahl 1990). Wetland status and trends over time have not been quantifi ed statewide in Nebraska, but have been nationally and regionally. The status and trends reports completed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service show a high loss of wetlands prior to the mid-1980s, but in the ensuing 20 years, the loss of wetlands slowed and, in some places, reversed. Palustrine temporarily fl ooded and seasonally fl ooded wetlands still were being lost, but that was offset by the addition of ponds and deeper water habitats (Dahl 2006, Dahl 2011). Many organizations and agencies have put much effort into conserving and managing some outstanding examples of Nebraska's wetland resources. These entities have acquired or protected approximately 50,000 acres of wetlands in Nebraska; however, this represents less than 3% of the remaining wetlands in the state. Examples of some public areas to visit are provided in the Nebraska's Regional Wetland Complexes section of this guide. A statewide list of public wildlife management areas, many of which contain wetlands, is available from Nebraska Game and Parks. Nebraska has more acres of wetlands than any surrounding state, due in large part to the extensive wetlands remaining in the Sandhills. However, in many parts of the state, wetlands have been destroyed or highly altered. Pictured here is the location of a historic Rainwater Basin wetland. The once shallow and productive wetland has been drained into deep pits that were excavated to concentrate the water and to allow for the passage of a center- pivot irrigation system. JON FARRAR, NEBRASKALAND Wetland Acreage Comparison SOURCE – DAHL 1990 Percent loss Estimated wetland acres in 1980 Estimated wetland acres in 1780 Wyoming 2,000,000 1,250,000 37% South Dakota 2,735,100 1,780,000 35% Iowa 4,000,000 421,000 90% Kansas 841,000 435,400 48% Colorado 2,000,000 1,000,000 50% Missouri 4,844,000 643,000 87% Nebraska 2,910,500 1,905,500 35%

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