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GUIDE TO NEBRASKA'S WETLANDS
NEBRASKA'S
WETLANDS
Nebraska's wetland resources are as
diverse and dynamic as those of any
state in the nation. They include marshes,
lakes, river and stream backwaters,
oxbows, wet meadows, fens, forested
swamps, and seep areas.
Playa wetlands generally occur on fl at landscapes with good
quality soils, and many are farmed in drier years.
ETHAN FREESE, PLATTE BASIN TIMELAPSE
Wetlands line the edges (fringe) of
most streams and rivers, including East
Ninemile Creek, a cold-water trout
stream in Scotts Bluff County.
TED LAGRANGE, NEBRASKA GAME AND PARKS COMMISSION
Some wetlands, especially in eastern Nebraska, are naturally wooded, like the edge of this
wetland on the Missouri River fl oodplain at Fontenelle Forest. ETHAN FREESE, PLATTE BASIN TIMELAPSE
Many wetlands are connected to groundwater, including fens in
the Sandhills. Two boiling springs push cold groundwater to the
surface. The "boiling" is not caused by heat but by groundwater
that reaches the surface with enough power to suspend the sand
grains. DAKOTA ALTMAN, PLATTE BASIN TIMELAPSE
