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GUIDE TO NEBRASKA'S WETLANDS
LOUP/PLATTE RIVER SANDHILLS
Profi le
The Loup/Platte River Sandhills wetland complex is
in a narrow band of wind-deposited sand extending
from the confl uence of the Platte and Loup rivers
at Columbus, west to near the town of Ravenna.
Wetlands are most numerous in a 70-square-mile area
south of Genoa. Within these sandhills are numerous
freshwater wetlands. These wetlands are mostly small
(less than 5 acres), and range from temporarily to
semipermanently fl ooded. Some information suggests
the groundwater that recharges these wetlands is
related to levels in the Platte and Loup rivers, but little
quantitative information is available.
Loss and Threats
Some drainage and cropping of these wetlands have
occurred, however, losses within this complex appear
to be less than in many other complexes in the state.
Threats to these wetlands are primarily related to
the potential of local groundwater pumping drawing
down water tables and causing the wetlands to lose
their water source. This complex also may be affected
by alterations of fl ows in the Platte and Loup rivers,
but this connection is currently not well understood.
Benefi ts
Unfortunately, little is known about how this
wetland complex functions. The wetlands are known
to provide good habitat for nesting waterfowl and
likely provide habitat for other water birds. Locally, the
area provides recreation for waterfowl hunters. These
wetlands provide water and forage production for
area livestock. The role that these wetlands play in the
water quality and groundwater dynamics of the region
needs further investigation.
Conservation Success Stories
More than a dozen landowners in this complex
have enrolled their properties into USDA's Wetland
Reserve Easements program. This voluntary program
pays landowners for the easement, helps restore
the wetlands, and then allows the landowner to
continue to own the land and to implement approved
compatible uses such as livestock grazing that benefi ts
the wetlands. Website: nrcs.usda.gov, search "wetland
reserve easements."
Contact
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offi ce in
Kearney, (308) 865-5310, or Norfolk, (308) 370-3374.
Select Public Use Areas
• Sunny Hollow WMA, 4 miles south and 1 mile
west of Genoa, Nance County. Note: Area is on a
minimum maintenance road.
