News

Know a Nebraska rancher, farmer or forestland owner who goes above and beyond in the stewardship of natural resources? Nominate them for the 2023 Nebraska Leopold Conservation Award®. Sand County Foundation and national sponsor American Farmland Trust present the Leopold Conservation Award to private landowners in 24 states for extraordinary achievement in voluntary conservation. In […]

The Rainwater Basin Joint Venture Science Office is working on an NRCS Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) for the Sandhills region focusing on Eastern Red Cedar removal project delivery.  The goal of NRCS CEAPs are quantifying and reporting on trends in conservation practices, and associated outcomes, over time.  CEAP findings are used to guide conservation […]

Wetland restoration in the Rainwater Basin region is often complicated and involves designing projects that need to take into consideration multiple private landowners. On occasion, a project comes along that requires coordination between private landowners, wildlife managers on Waterfowl Production Areas or Wildlife Management Areas (WMA), and other state and federal entities. Such is the […]

Precision Agriculture In The Rainwater Basin Written By: Nathan Pflueger – Pheasants Forever Precision Ag Coordinator Did you know Pheasants Forever is working with producers across the eastern portion of the Rainwater Basin to benefit row crop operations and local wildlife? As you travel throughout the basins it is no secret that row crop acres […]

The Rangeland Brush Estimation Tool (RaBET) is a new online ArcGIS application that can be used to look at current or past woody plant canopy cover in encroached landscapes. Users can select a specific area and the application will provide a summary of canopy cover information. The percent canopy cover is defined based on the […]

Want to learn more about wetlands and how they can fit into your farming operation? Pheasants Forever is hosting a wetland workshop where you can learn more about the wetland restoration process, rotational systems, tree management, and plant identification.  Participants can attend all or part of the program. Lunch will be provided for those who […]

Partnerships play a key role in the management and conservation of wetlands within the Rainwater Basin (RWB).  The numerous partnerships held by the different conservation organizations across the state help to better manage resources, time, money, and habitat. Nebraska Ducks Unlimited (DU) recently presented the 2022 Nebraska Wetland Partnership Award to David Eigenberg.  Ducks Unlimited […]

A Livestock Watering Solution on the L&L Johnson WRP Lavern Johnson enrolled his property with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) in 2005.  A wetland restoration was completed at that time.  Lavern understood that grazing could be an effective tool to maintain and enhance the wetland.  The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) […]

Teal View Wetland Education Area invites visitors to explore a disappearing ecosystem Just a few miles north of the tiny town of Hampton, Nebraska, you’ll find the region’s newest public access wetland, Teal View Wetland Education Area. The 39-acre tract of farmland was restored to its natural state of wetland in 2020-2021 by Ducks Unlimited […]

The name Playa (“ply-ah”) originates from the Spanish word for beach.  In Nebraska, playas are shallow depressions that cycle through wet and dry periods. In the past, these were referred to by producers as buffalo wallows, mud puddles, or wasteland.  The Rainwater Basin Wetland Complex is a unique cluster of these wetlands.  Here in Nebraska, […]