Access digital copies of guides and regulations publications from the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission.
Issue link: http://digital.outdoornebraska.gov/i/720963
7 rangeland as the land is too steep and irregular for much cropland. The Hat Creek and White River drainages originate in the Pine Ridge. Just to the south of the Pine Ridge are the Tablelands which extend south to the North Platte Valley. The Tablelands are a level, rolling landscape of mixed grass prairie with some canyons along stream courses. The Niobrara River crosses the northern portion of the Tableland while, to the south are several North Platte River tributaries. Sandwiched between the Tablelands on the west and the Sand Hills to the east is an area of level to rolling cropland. The northern portion of this area is crossed by the Niobrara River. To the south is a closed basin, the Snake Creek watershed which crosses the southern edge of Box Butte County. Snake Creek was geologically connected to Blue Creek in Garden County but drifting sand dunes separated them. Over the past few years, groundwater pumping has dried up Snake Creek. A similar area is found in the southern portion of the Panhandle next to the Colorado border. The only stream her is Lodgepole Creek, much of which has been dried up due to the pumping of groundwater for irrigation. Finally, a third area is found south of the South Platte River. The area south of the South Platte River has few streams, the most notable being Frenchman Creek. Here too, flows have been greatly reduced due to groundwater pumping. Through the center of the Western High Plains is the North Platte Valley, a flat, alluvial area that is mostly in irrigated cropland and feedlots while the upland areas are in rangeland. Flanking the North Platte Valley on the south are bluffs and the Wildcat Hills which are what remains of the pre-Pleistocene prairies. These are areas of escarpments, rocky outcrops and steep slopes with pine forests. To the north of the river are hills that blend into the Tablelands. The South Platte Valley is also a flat, alluvial area used for irrigated agriculture. The South Platte River has been extensively dewatered by urban water use and irrigation in Colorado. Finally, in the extreme southeastern corner of the state are the Rolling Sand Plains. These are sandy plains with occasional active sand dunes. Originally a sand sage prairie with few streams, the area was used as rangeland but is now being converted to irrigated agriculture. South and east of these Rolling Sand Plains is rangeland. This area includes the upper end of the Republican River and some of its tributaries. Originally mixed grass and short grass prairie, this area is more irregular than the sand plains to the west. This area has (or had) numerous small spring-fed tributaries that are being dried up by groundwater pumping for agriculture.