OutdoorNebraska

27 GUIDE TO NEBRASKA'S WETLANDS options will be the most successful. Website: NebraskaNaturalLegacy.org. Contacts Coordinating wildlife biologist in Ord, (308) 728- 3244, or the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission offi ce in North Platte, (308) 535-8025, or Kearney, (308) 865-5310. Select Public Use Areas • Berggren-Young WMA, 2 miles east of Merna, Custer County SOUTHWEST PLAYAS Profi le The playa wetlands of southwest Nebraska occupy small clay-lined depressions on nearly fl at lands of loess soil. These freshwater wetlands receive water from runoff and are small (mostly less than 5 acres), temporarily and seasonally fl ooded wetlands. Most have no natural outlet for water. In most years, these wetlands dry early enough in the growing season to be farmed. Southwest Playa wetlands are like the Rainwater Basin wetlands farther east, except that the Rainwater Basin complex receives greater rainfall, and the wetlands there tend to be larger. Loss and Threats Due to the small amount of annual rainfall received (16-18 inches per year) in the Southwest Playa region, there has been less drainage of these wetlands than has occurred in many other complexes. Some of the wetlands are drained into concentration pits or road ditches, but most simply dry up naturally and are farmed. Wheat is the dominant crop in the area, but corn and soybean acreage has been increasing. In some locations, the hydrology of the watershed has been altered by the placement of terraces that reduce the amount of water entering the wetlands. These terraces also reduce the amount of eroded soil entering the wetlands. Because culturally accelerated sediment fi lling the wetlands is an added threat to the Playas (LaGrange et al. 2011), soil erosion treatments are needed in the watershed of these wetlands. However, care needs to be taken to ensure erosion treatments do not reduce the wetland's water source. Benefi ts Our understanding of the benefi ts of the Southwest Playa wetlands is somewhat limited. A study was completed in 2006-2008 that documented their role in providing important habitat for migrating waterfowl and shorebirds (Cariveau and Pavlacky 2009). In addition, these wetlands provide important habitats for ring-necked pheasants. These water areas are especially important to wildlife in the dry High Plains region of the United States of America where wetlands often are scarce. The North American Waterfowl Management Plan lists portions of the Southwest Playa complex as an area of greatest continental signifi cance to North American ducks, geese, and swans (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Canadian Wildlife Service, and Mexican Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources, and Fisheries 2012). Conservation Success Stories This landscape is predominately located in farmland, and programs have been developed to help landowners with wetland conservation options. There has been a lot of interest in the management and access opportunities through the Open Fields and Waters program administered by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. USDA wetland programs also have been used, with eight properties enrolled in the Wetland Reserve Easements Program, and many more Ring-necked pheasants are an important game bird, and they benefi t greatly if wetlands are nearby to provide places to nest, feed, and escape winter weather. MIKE FORSBERG, NEBRASKALAND

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