Volume 98, Issue 2, 2020
March 2020
- Identifier:
- nela.2020_098_02
- Title:
- Volume 98, Issue 2, 2020
- Issue Name:
- March 2020
- Date Issued:
- 2020-03-01
- year:
- 2020
- month:
- March
- Season:
- Winter
- PDF filename:
- NL_98.02_2020_Mar_Spreads_Entire.pdf
- Publisher:
- Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
- Format:
- Periodical
- volume:
- 098
- issue:
- 02
- number:
- 098.02
- Decade:
- 2020s
- Type:
- Rights Holder:
- Copyright Nebraskaland Magazine/Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, all rights reserved.
- Extracted Text:
-
magazine
$4.95
P.O.Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
nebraskaland@nebraska.gov
To renew your subscription or change your
address call 1-800-632-5263
March
M
arch
h 2020
2020
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Volume 98 No. 2
March 2020
Cover: Sandhill cranes leave their
roost on the Platte River in Hall County
shortly after sunrise.
Photo by Eric Fowler.
4
Nebraskaland • March 2020
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
FEATURES
22
OUR FAMILY PRAIRIE
28
OUTDOOR NEBRASKA
30
2019 FLOOD
Story and Photos by Chris Helzer
What to Do in March
By Renae Blum
Game and Parks Still Working to Recover
By Eric Fowler
38
BILL GREEN
40
THOSE ALLURING ORBS
48
A WEEKEND OF EXPLORATION
A World War II Soldier
By David L. Bristow
Photos and Story by Justin Haag
My Experience of Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman
By Renae Blum
ON THE WEB
To see additional content including photos,
videos and additional articles, visit
Magazine.OutdoorNebraska.gov/digital.
DEPARTMENTS
8
12
52
62
66
Your Nebraska
In the Field
Mixed Bag
Portraits from the Past
The Last Stop
Nebraskaland (VOL. 98 / NO. 2 ISSN 0028-1964) is published monthly, except for the combined Jan./Feb. and Aug./Sept. issues, by the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, 2200 N. 33rd St.,
Lincoln, NE. Periodicals postage paid at Lincoln, Nebraska, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Nebraskaland, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370.
Magazine Staff
magazine
Published by the Nebraska Game and Parks
Commission since 1926. The Commission is
dedicated to the conservation and protection
of all the state's natural resources and the
people who use them.
Communications Director Christy Firestone
Editor Jeff Kurrus
Associate Editor Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Regional Editors Eric Fowler, Julie Geiser,
Justin Haag
Contributing Editor Michael Forsberg
Regular Contributors Renae Blum,
Chris Helzer, Chris Masada, Ryan Sparks,
Gerry Steinauer
Art Director Tim Reigert
Graphic Designer Mel Severin
Photo Librarian Jaclyn Cruikshank Vogt
Administration
Director Jim Douglas
Deputy Director Tim McCoy
Commissioners
Chairman - Dan Kreitman, Wahoo
Vice Chairman - Pat Berggren, Broken Bow
2nd Vice Chairman - Rick Brandt, Roca
Robert Allen, Eustis
Dick Bell, Omaha
Scott Cassels, Omaha
Jim Ernst, Columbus
John Hoggatt, Kearney
Doug Zingula, Sidney
Circulation
For address changes and questions about your
subscription, call 800-632-5263
Advertising Sales Manager
For advertising information contact
Shane G. Gilster, 402-742-0125
Email: shanegilster@gmail.com
Nebraskaland Magazine Copyright 2020, all rights reserved.
Nebraskaland is available in audio from the Nebraska Library
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Lincoln, NE 68508. 800-742-7691. Nebraskaland Magazine and the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission reserve the right to reject any
advertising not in keeping with the agency mission.
Rates: $18 for one year; $33 for two years; $44 for three years. Nebraska
recipients must add appropriate sales tax. To subscribe call
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Commission Offices
Conservation Officers
Headquarters/Southeast District Office
2200 N. 33rd Street Lincoln, NE 68503
Phone 402-471-0641
ADMINISTRATION (Lincoln)
Craig Stover (Administrator)
Duane Arp (Asst. Administrator)
Jeff Clauson (Asst. Administrator)
Travis Shepler (Asst. Administrator)
Northeast District Office
2201 N. 13th St. Norfolk, NE 68701
Phone 402-370-3374
Southwest District Office
301 E. State Farm Rd. North Platte, NE 69101
Phone 308-535-8025
Northwest District Office
East Hwy. 2, Box 725 Alliance, NE 69301
Phone 308-763-2940
Bassett Office
524 Panzer St., Box 508 Bassett, NE 68714
Phone 402-684-2921
Kearney Office
1617 First Ave. Kearney, NE 68847
Phone 308-865-5310
Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium/Schramm Education
Center
21502 W. Highway 31 Gretna, NE 68028
Phone 402-332-3901
Omaha Office
8495 Frederick Street, Omaha, NE 68124
Phone 402-595-2144
OutdoorNebraska.org
Any program that receives federal funding from the National Park
Service, or the United States Fish and Wildlife Service prohibits
unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, age, gender,
marital status, national origin, age, disability or political affiliation. Any
person who believes he or she has been discriminated against in
any program, activity, facility, or service, should contact the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-0641, the Equal
Opportunity Commission, Lincoln, NE 402-471-2024, TTY/TDD 402471-4693; United States Fish Wildlife Service, Civil Rights Coordinator,
4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203; Director, Equal Opportunity
Program, U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service, 1849 C
Street NW, Mail Code 0008, Washington, D.C. 20240-0001.
6
Nebraskaland • March 2020
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
402-471-5531
NORTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Jim Zimmerman (District Supt.)
308-641-6138
Kelsey Glodowski
(Box Butte, S 1/2 Sheridan, Grant)
308-763-8226
Sean McKeehan
(Kimball, Banner, Scotts Bluff)
308-672-1824
Dan Kling (Sioux, Dawes)
308-430-0572
Kyler Prochaska
(E 1/2 Dawes, N 1/2 Sheridan, W 1/2 Cherry)
308-430-3984
308-458-7650
Terry Brentzel (Deuel, Garden, Grant)
402-389-0444
Frank Miller (Cherry, Hooker)
308-279-9133
Josh Widhelm (Morrill, Cheyenne)
NORTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Tom Zimmer (District Supt.)
402-649-8053
402-760-0712
Dale Davis (Keya Paha, Brown, Rock)
402-340-3981
Jonathan Andreasen (Holt, Boyd)
402-719-6226
Kyle Gaston (Dodge, Colfax)
402-613-8612
Mitch Johnson (Knox, Antelope, Pierce)
402-762-5022
Jeff Jones (Knox, Cedar)
Jon Reeves
(S 1/2 Thurston, Burt, Washington)
402-889-8508
Andrew Heyer (Pierce, Madison, Stanton) 402-613-2241
Cory Krause
(Cuming, Wayne, Stanton, Dodge)
402-380-6410
Steve Oberg
(Colfax, Platte, Madison, Stanton, Nance)
402-910-3366
Owen Johnson
(Dixon, Dakota, N 1/2 Thurston)
402-266-1759
Doug Pollard (Loup, Garfield, Valley)
308-730-7050
Ethan Teter
(Boating – eastern Nebraska)
402-620-8129
SOUTHWEST (Includes counties covered)
Roger Thompson (District Supt.)
308-530-3097
308-202-0819
Matt Brandt (Sherman, Howard)
308-380-7331
Tim Williams (Hall, Hamilton, Merrick)
Pat George
(Harlan, Franklin, Phelps)
308-920-2762
Matt Andrews
(Gosper, Furnas, Frontier, Red Willow)
308-746-2418
Brian Piernicky
(Red Willow, Frontier, Hayes, Hitchcock)
308-340-6627
John Lee (Hitchcock, Dundy, Chase, Hayes)
308-414-1432
Nicholas Fix (Keith, Perkins)
Bryce Streger (Keith, Arthur)
Sean Schultz (Keith)
Brandon O’Neal
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Alex Hasenauer
(Lincoln, McPherson, Logan)
Mike Thome (Dawson)
Ray Dierking (Custer, Thomas, Blaine)
Taylor Dixon
(Dawson, N 1/2 Gosper, N 1/2 Phelps)
Eric Javins
(Adams, Clay, Nuckolls, Webster)
Kevin Bergstrom
(Boating – central Nebraska)
Daryl Teter
(Boating – central Nebraska)
Greg Hesse
(Buffalo, Kearney)
308-289-0427
308-289-1169
308-760-0145
308-530-3157
308-660-4671
308-529-8146
308-870-0322
308-217-2108
402-902-2017
308-520-1031
308-440-1863
402-440-3847
SOUTHEAST (Includes counties covered)
Stacey Lewton (District Supt.)
402-890-7140
402-619-1355
Rich Berggren (Douglas)
402-616-5961
Dan Evasco (Sarpy)
402-210-0888
Heath Packett (Cass)
402-209-1506
Russell Mort (Otoe, Johnson)
402-200-9597
Matt Taylor (Thayer, Fillmore, Jefferson)
402-806-0915
Matt Seitz (Gage, Saline)
402-890-6463
Dina Barta (Lancaster)
402-937-3422
Dudley Sorensen (Lancaster, York)
402-314-9641
Trevor Stahlecker (Lancaster)
402-443-6392
Mike Luben (Saunders, Butler, Polk)
Scott Eveland
(Lancaster)
402-853-3273
YOUR NEBRASKA
Instagram Photos
Follow us (@nebraskaland)
and tag us in your photos
to be featured in an
upcoming issue.
Kacie Clark, Banner County
Bighorn Sheep near McGrew
Chris Bergstrom, Omaha
Milky Way near Lake Waconda
8
Nebraskaland • March 2020
Mike Benkis, Omaha
Sandhill Crane
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
9
YOUR NEBRASKA
Lynette Hahne, Lincoln
Fox and Fox Squirrel
Evan Hindman, Cedar Rapids, IA
Windmill South of Valentine
Send your comments and photos to:
Jeff Kurrus, Editor
Nebraskaland Magazine
P.O. Box 30370
Lincoln, NE 68503
or email Jeff.Kurrus@Nebraska.gov
Sena Williams, Omaha
Lake Zorinsky Sunset
10
Nebraskaland • March 2020
Please include your postal address
and telephone number. Letters may be
condensed and edited. Photographs are
also welcome.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
11
IN THE FIELD
LIFE’S CIRCLE
A deer skull stands out in a
landscape emerging from
winter at Bordeaux Creek
Wildlife Management Area.
PHO
PHOT
HOT
OT
O
TO BY JUS
JUSTIN
T HA
AAG
G
12
Nebraskaland • March 2020
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
13
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO BY JUSTIN HAAG
THREATENED AND ENDANGERED:
THE MCCOWN’S LONGSPUR
By Melissa J. Panella
The McCown’s longspur (Rhynchophanes mccownii) is one of
a few bird species endemic to the Great Plains, which means
that it is native and restricted to only a certain area. In many
cases, endemic species are especially vulnerable because of
their limited distribution and specialized habitats. Endemics
are typically unable to find new locations with conditions
suitable for their survival when the current territories they
depend upon become degraded or converted to other uses.
McCown’s longspurs are grassland birds. They thrive when
there is open country rich with food resources, such as the
shortgrass prairie of western Nebraska. Longspurs stay
relatively close to the earth to forage for seed and insects
on bare or sparsely vegetated ground. The males are master
aerial acrobatic performers, displaying on the rolling hilltops
of the plains in anticipation that their song and dance will
attract the attention of an onlooking interested female mate.
Their nesting also takes place on the ground, with their nests
often positioned atop hills and buttes.
Long-term monitoring efforts have shown a substantial
decrease in the number of McCown’s longspurs across their
range. In Nebraska, it has become increasingly harder to
detect their nests. In 2018, staff of the Nebraska Game and
Parks Commission proposed the McCown’s longspur for
14
Nebraskaland • March 2020
listing as threatened in Nebraska because of the substantial
downward trend documented for the species.
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission is now prioritizing
conservation of the longspur among the agency’s many
wildlife responsibilities. The addition of the McCown’s
longspur to the state of Nebraska list of threatened species
will help bring recognition and possible funding sources
to conserve this sparrow-like bird into the future. If more
nesting locations can be detected, the Commission will work
with willing property owners to help ensure that the eggs
will hatch nestlings that have a fighting chance to survive.
In fact, the McCown’s longspur is a species that prefers wellgrazed rangelands, so conservation of this species can go
hand-in-hand with strategic cattle grazing.
One of the most important objectives of the Nebraska
Natural Legacy Project is to recover endangered and
threatened species. State wildlife grants and Nebraska
Environmental Trust funds have been critical to supporting
the work that will improve and maintain shortgrass prairie
habitat in the Great Plains.
Melissa J. Panella is a wildlife biologist for the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission.
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
WEATHER IS FOR THE BIRDS
By Martha D. Shulski
The spectacle of the sandhill crane migration is surely a
natural wonder, and weather conditions play a role in the
movement of these and other migratory birds. Nebraska lies
at the intersection of the sandhill cranes’ summer range in
the North American Arctic and winter range in Texas, New
Mexico, Arizona and northern Mexico. Bird arrival in spring
is in large part because daylight hours are increasing and
temperatures warming, but the pattern of movement is not
exactly a straight line.
Day-to-day changes in temperature, wind and sky
conditions can promote or inhibit movement of these great
birds. March and April are a key time of year for spring
migration. Although during spring, and any season in
Nebraska, weather can vary considerably.
Taking flight in the morning has been found to correlate
with air temperature (birds prefer the warmth) or even
16
Nebraskaland • March 2020
updrafts from the heating of the Earth’s surface. Overall,
temperatures have warmed, especially in March, since about
1960. A recent study of whooping cranes found warmth to be
correlated to migration patterns.
What is on tap for spring 2020? The current seasonal
outlook from the Climate Prediction Center is alluding to a
warmer March through May along the Gulf Coast and desert
Southwest. This may push the instinctual desire for birds
to head north. Transversely, the March and April outlook is
showing a cooler than normal northern Plains.
Cranes moving north sooner than usual may find winter
still grasping the Dakotas and leaving Nebraska with a
longer crane visit. Only time will tell.
Martha D. Shulski, at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, is
the director of the Nebraska State Climate office.
Chase wild turkeys through one million acres of publicly accessible land in
beautiful Nebraska. Three over-the-counter permits mean you can take home a
trio of birds, including our famous Merriam’s. There are plenty of turkeys in every
county, so no matter where you go, there’s a Tom calling. Will you answer?
Plan your trip today at HuntNebraskaTurkey.com
SPRING SEASONS RUN
MARCH 25 – MAY 31, 2020
IN THE FIELD
CAPE MAY WARBLER. PHOTO BY PHIL SWANSON
MORE THAN CRANES
By Joel Jorgensen
By the time most sandhill cranes and the hordes of geese
leave central Nebraska in early April, the migration of many
avian species through the state is either just beginning or has
yet to start. If considering the totality of spring migration for
all species, it can commence as early as late January for a
few hardy birds and does not end until the last white-rumped
sandpipers and black terns pass through the state during the
first third of June. Thus, the ornithological calendar does not
necessarily align with the astronomical one.
Many spring migrants are still moving north at the same
time local breeding birds are incubating eggs or tending to
young. If focusing on only individual birds, the majority of
spring migration actually occurs from late April through late
May when millions of songbirds such as warblers, buntings,
orioles and flycatchers invade North America from tropical
and subtropical clines.
These migrants may not produce the astonishing spectacle
as a congregation of thousands of sandhill cranes or clouds
of snow and Ross’s geese blanketing the sky. Nevertheless,
18
Nebraskaland • March 2020
these small, brightly colored long-distant travelers can be
equally as enjoyable to experience.
One spring migrant in Nebraska is the Cape May warbler,
a striking yellow and black bird that weighs less than a
greeting card. Cape May warblers spend the winter in Central
and South America and the Carribean. Despite their small
size each bird will travel across the continent in one month
to arrive in the northern U.S. and Canada to breed. Every few
days brings new arrivals that have been absent from our
region for months.
Birdwatchers relish this time of year, and during the first
half of May, the most ardent birders can tally a hundred
species or more in a single day. Casual backyard bird
enthusiasts can take part by putting out hummingbird or
oriole feeders to welcome these new arrivals. From beginning
to end, the migration of all birds in spring is something
everyone can enjoy.
Chadron State College students join Nebraska Game and Parks staff
and volunteers to release a bighorn sheep ewe back to the wild after
equipping it with a new radio collar near Chadron State Park.
We’re working to preserve beautiful Nebraska
for years – and generations – to come. #MakingItLast
Visit birdsofnebraska.org for more Nebraska bird information.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
19
IN THE FIELD
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
RABBIT AND DUMPLINGS
By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley
Servings: 8
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 2 hours and
30 minutes
Ingredients:
Rabbit Stock
2 pounds whole rabbit
2 carrots, halved
2 ribs of celery, halved
6 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 large onion, halved
Cooking oil
About 8 cups of water
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Stew and Dumplings
1 small onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 ribs of celery, chopped
Cooking oil
1 bay leaf
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
Half sprig of fresh rosemary
¼ teaspoon of dried sage (or 1
large fresh leaf, minced)
4 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ cup of flour
2 tablespoons of butter
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
20
Nebraskaland • March 2020
• ¾ cup of chardonnay
• 6 cups of rabbit stock
• Lawry’s Seasoned Salt, to taste
• Freshly cracked pepper
• ¼ cup of heavy cream
• 1 can Pillsbury Grands! Southern
Homestyle Buttermilk Biscuits
• Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley
1. To make rabbit stock, heat 1
tablespoon of oil in a stock pot over
medium heat. Add halved carrots,
celery, onion and thyme. Brown onion
on both sides, and then add the rabbit
to the pot and submerge with water,
about 8 cups. Bring to a low boil, then
back down to a simmer and cover.
Simmer for 1 hour or until rabbit meat
becomes tender.
2. Remove rabbit meat from the
bones. Return bones to the pot and
simmer for an additional hour, covered.
Refrigerate the meat until ready to use.
Strain the stock and discard solids.
Keep stock warm.
3. In a pot over medium heat, sweat
chopped onion, celery, carrots, bay
leaf, thyme, rosemary and sage in 1
tablespoon of oil until onion becomes
translucent, about 5-7 minutes. Add
garlic and sauté for 30 seconds. Add
butter and flour, and cook for 2-3
minutes, stirring constantly.
HIT THE
TRAILS
WITH US
4. Stir in wine and let it simmer and
reduce by half, scraping the bottom
of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Gradually stir in hot rabbit stock,
stirring as you go, breaking up any
lumps. Bring to a simmer and return
rabbit meat to the pot. Season to taste
with seasoned salt.
5. Cut biscuits into quarters or
halves. Drop each piece one-by-one
into the simmering soup. Cover and
simmer for 25 minutes or until biscuits
are cooked through; do not uncover
the pot during this time to keep as
much steam built up as possible. Stir in
heavy cream and season again to taste
with salt and pepper. Garnish soup and
dumplings with parsley.
Find horse-friendly campsites
and new trails to explore at
OutdoorNebraska.org/Equestrian.
Our Family
Prairie
A simple quarter section of land contains a
legacy of family memories and conservation
Story and Photos by Chris Helzer
ack in 1960, my grandpa bought
160 acres of farm land near
Stockham – a couple miles north
of the farmstead where he and my
grandma were raising my dad and his
two sisters. Most of the parcel was in
cultivation, except for several small
draws (totaling about 26 acres) where
isolated patches of native prairie
persisted. According to family lore,
much of the land was in pretty tough
shape, with a lot of topsoil erosion
B
from the hilly ground, and most of
it probably shouldn’t ever have been
farmed. Grandpa bought it because
he needed grass for his cow herd and
immediately enrolled it in the Soil
Conservation Service’s Great Plains
Conservation Program. Using that
cost-share money, Grandpa reseeded
all but 49 acres to grass and installed a
dam for a livestock pond.
My grandma kept meticulous
records, so we still have the 1962
G. P. REMMENGA, USDA-SOIL CONSERVATION SERVICE
Dotted gayfeather (Liatris punctata) in the Helzer family prairie south of Aurora, Nebraska.
Paul Helzer (the author’s Grandfather) stands in the newly established
grassland in 1964.
22
Nebraskaland
• March 2020
receipts for grass seed, and I can tell
you that the seed mix consisted of big
bluestem, indiangrass, switchgrass,
little bluestem, sideoats grama,
western wheatgrass and a little blue
grama. I even have a newspaper
clipping about the project, including
a photo of my grandpa standing in
his newly established pasture. My dad
used the northwestern corner of the
land for a 4-H project, planting rows of
redcedar, Russian olive and multiflora
rose behind the dam, which he insisted
was considered good wildlife habitat
restoration at the time. Grandpa and
Grandma retired from the farm in the
1980s, but the land remained in the
family. After I finished college and
started my job as a land manager for
The Nature Conservancy, I began to
help grandma manage the property.
Dad came out a few times a year to
cut little cedar trees out of the pasture
(which seemed fair, since most were
progeny of the trees he’d planted for
his 4-H project), and I helped Grandma
manage the pasture lease and annual
grazing plans.
I often reflect upon the legacy
of Grandpa’s decision to buy that
degraded piece of farmland and put it
back to grass. Though I think he was
motivated mostly by cheap land and
a desire for pasture close to home,
the purchase and restoration of that
quarter section was an important
conservation project. The grass
planting reduced soil erosion and
sediment inputs into the west fork of
the Big Blue River, which is less than
a mile downstream. It also turned 26
acres of isolated prairie fragments into
more than 100 acres of contiguous
prairie habitat. The plant and animal
species that had been restricted to
those tiny prairie fragments can now
spread out and occupy much larger
areas, giving them a much greater
chance to survive and thrive.
Beyond the conservation impacts,
the Helzer Family Prairie, as we’ve
come to call it, has had a profound
effect on my life and career, and has
been the source of countless memories
for everyone in my family. After both
of my grandparents died, the land was
owned by my dad and his two sisters.
The three of them were strongly
committed to keeping the property in
the family, and they worked out a plan
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
23
to allow me to buy the land from them
over time, something I’m incredibly
grateful for.
Ecology and Habitat
Management
The Helzer Family Prairie sits in
the transition zone between tallgrass
and mixed-grass prairie. In a wet year,
ungrazed portions of the prairie can
produce big bluestem plants as tall
as I am, but in most years, and under
grazing pressure, the big bluestem
and indiangrass heights are more
reduced, and mid-height grasses such
as sideoats grama, little bluestem and
tall dropseed become more dominant.
Invasive species, including smooth
brome and Kentucky bluegrass, have
both invaded the site, along with
sweet clover, and all three can be very
abundant under certain management
and weather conditions. The small
patches of unplowed prairie on the site
contain wildflowers such as leadplant,
prairie violet, dotted gayfeather,
white-eyed grass, ground plum, purple
prairie clover and many more. Since
1962, many of those wildflowers have
moved out into the former cropland,
joining the seeded grasses. Over the
last 15 years or so, various members
Blue mud plantain (Heteranthera limosa) is one of many wetland plants that has
colonized shallow areas of the pond since cattle were excluded from it.
24
Nebraskaland
• March 2020
of my family have helped me collect
wildflower seeds from other nearby
prairies and broadcast them on
recently-grazed portions of the site.
Those efforts have helped speed
up the diversification of the plant
community.
For a relatively small and isolated
site, surrounded by miles of cropland,
our prairie has a surprising profusion
of wildlife. Breeding grassland birds
include grasshopper sparrows, western
meadowlarks and upland sandpipers,
among others, and I even spotted a
greater prairie chicken during June a
few years ago, which makes me wonder
if that species is a periodic nester.
Ring-necked pheasants and northern
bobwhites are both abundant, and
now and then, a few wild turkeys
make their way up from the wooded
river valley to the north.
There are lots of frogs in the pond/
wetland, including chorus frogs,
leopard frogs and a recent invasion
of bullfrogs. They are joined by
myriad dragonflies, damselflies,
and many other invertebrates, and
we have frequent visits by various
ducks, shorebirds and itinerant great
blue herons. We even spotted a big
snapping turtle making its way toward
the pond years ago, though we don’t
seem to have a stable population of
any turtle species. Pollinators are
abundant, including monarch and
regal fritillary butterflies, along
with several species of bumblebees
and countless other bees, moths and
flies. Judging by tracks in the snow
and numerous burrows and mounds
scattered about, our small mammal
population is strong, and that helps
support a resident family of coyotes,
which are always a treat to see.
Because our prairie is miles away
from any others, the chances of prairie
plants or animals coming to our prairie
from elsewhere are awfully slim. That
essentially makes us managers of a
prairie island in a sea of cropland, and
we do our best to provide habitat for
all plant and animal species because if
we lose any, they probably won’t come
back. Cattle grazing is our primary
tool for managing habitat structure
(see page 27 sidebar), as well as our
primary source of income from the
prairie. We try to provide areas of
both tall and short vegetation each
year, as well as “weedy” recovery
patches, since those sites recovering
from intensive grazing are where we
see the highest concentrations of
wildlife, pollinators and other insects.
In any particular part of the prairie, the
habitat structure changes from year to
year. Those changing conditions help
prevent predators or pathogens from
building up and help to foster a diverse
plant community.
Our grazing management improved
a few years ago after working with
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
private lands biologists. They provided
cost-share funds to help us install
two solar-powered livestock watering
facilities and tweak the layout of our
fences. The new water sources allowed
us to exclude cattle from the pond,
which led to a tremendous increase
in the number of wetland plants and
wildlife species in and around it.
Instead of a shallow muddy pond that
was always threatening to dry up and
Upland sandpipers seem to appreciate
the grazing management of the prairie.
The cattle were very interested in this snapping turtle that was trying
to make its way to the pond.
leave our cattle without water, we now
have a lush and beautiful wetland, and
we see more ducks and other wildlife
than ever before. Changing to no-till
farming on the crop fields adjacent to
the prairie has also been significant;
we see much less soil erosion from
water running off those fields, and
gullies forming in the loess soil have
begun to heal.
Years ago, we got rid of the trees
Dad had planted for his “habitat”
project, but we still spend hours each
year cutting little cedars out of the
prairie. In addition to eastern redcedar,
other tree species are constantly
trying to invade our prairie as well,
with honey locust leading that charge.
Those deciduous trees take extra work
because we have to paint the stumps
with herbicide to keep them from
re-sprouting after we cut them.
Apart from trees, we have other
several invaders that keep us busy. We
regularly spot spray reed canarygrass
plants along the wetland edge to keep
them from taking over, and keep a
sharp eye out for narrowleaf cattails
and other invasive aquatic plants so
we can stop them before they become
established. Brome, bluegrass and
sweet clover are so entrenched in
the prairie that we just use grazing
management to keep them from
becoming oppressive enough to stifle
overall plant diversity.
Like most other pastures in the
state, ours has a few musk thistles to
chop each year, though usually only a
few dozen or so. We’ve had to carefully
train our kids and lessees to chop only
the musk thistles, leaving behind the
native wavy-leaf, Flodman’s and tall
thistles. Those native thistles are
among the best providers of pollinator
habitat and wildlife food (seeds)
in our prairie, and it’s rare to see a
thistle flower without seeing bees,
butterflies, or other insects feeding
on it.
We’re also appreciative of many
other plants others might call weeds,
including ragweed, gumweed, snowon-the-mountain and hoary vervain.
All of them respond strongly to grazing
pressure, flourishing in the aftermath
of a season of intensive grazing, but
fade quickly in subsequent years, as
that part of the prairie is rested and
recovers. When abundant, those tall
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
25
Prairie Management
T
Fitz, the family labradoodle enjoys cavorting about in the prairie.
The prairie is a frequent site of family campfire suppers. From left to right: John,
Daniel, Anna, and Kim Helzer.
weedy plants, surrounded by shortcropped grass, provide fantastic broodrearing habitat for quail, pheasants
and upland sandpipers, as well as food
and habitat for many other species of
wildlife, pollinators and other insects.
Recreation and Family
While we do our best to improve the
conservation value of our prairie, the
site is most important to us as a family
retreat and recreational area. It’s only
a 15-minute drive from our house, so
it’s easy to head out for just a few
hours at a time. The kids and dogs love
to explore the wetland area, either by
wading or with the canoe we store
26
Nebraskaland
• March 2020
on site. Fishing is no longer an option
after the last bullheads disappeared
when the wetland dried up completely
a few years back, but there are plenty
of frogs and other critters to chase
and watch. In addition, we rarely visit
the prairie without making a small
campfire and cooking hot dogs on
sticks.
When I cut down some good-sized
trees several years ago, we stacked
the branches strategically, leaving
hollow areas in the middle of each
pile, and the kids used those piles as
forts and hideouts. They also climb
the few remaining trees on site, chase
each other around with sticks, and
Anna Helzer holds a recently emerged
green darner dragonfly in the wetland
area.
even let their parents show them
interesting flowers or tracks now and
then. We’ve gone ice skating, sledding,
hunting, camping and insect netting
countless times over the years, and as
my older kids are nearing adulthood,
those activities rank among their top
memories of growing up.
Despite spending much of my work
week in prairies, I still love heading to
the Helzer Family Prairie during my
evenings or weekends. It’s a great place
for photography, or just to explore and
see how things are changing. I’ve
learned a tremendous amount about
prairie ecology simply by watching
plant and animal communities
respond to both weather patterns and
our management practices.
I’m eternally grateful to all my
relatives who have helped keep our
prairie in the family, and for the trust
they’ve placed in me as caretaker of
the site. I’m also proud to live in a
state where the vast majority of land
is owned and managed by families
like ours.
Each of us has the incredible privilege
and responsibility to maintain the
health of the land in our care, and to
ensure that the generations following
us will honor the same obligations. It’s
a sacred responsibility that I cherish,
and I hope it’s one that my kids will
as well. N
he top priority for our family prairie is to optimize
habitat for wildlife, pollinators and plant diversity.
We graze between 25 and 30 cow/calf pairs on about
110 acres of pasture each year, between mid-April
and late September. Our grazing strategies are
designed to create a “shifting mosaic” of habitat
patches that represent the full spectrum of grassland
vegetation structure. Each patch has years when it
is intensively grazed for most of a season, but also
years of little or no grazing to compensate.
The current technique we’re using is something
I call the “open gate grazing rotation system.” It’s
about as uncomplicated as a grazing system can be,
but seems to cover all of our objectives. Our pasture
is split into four big paddocks and a couple smaller
ones. After quickly running cattle through several of
those pastures in the spring to knock back smooth
brome, bluegrass and sweetclover, we put the cattle
into one of the bigger paddocks for a month or
so, or until they’ve grazed most of the vegetation
short. Then, we open the gate to the next paddock.
However, instead of closing the gate behind the
cattle, we leave the gate open, allowing access to
both paddocks. As the season progresses, anytime
the cattle start running low on forage, we just open
another gate – always leaving at least one paddock
ungrazed each year.
Leaving gates open allows the cattle to keep
Native bees appreciate the
increasing floral diversity at
the site.
grazing the paddocks
they started on earlier
in the season, helping
to provide valuable
short-stature habitat.
The initial paddock gets grazed hard all season long,
suppressing the vigor of dominant grasses. In the
following year, that paddock is left ungrazed and goes
through a year of weedy recovery, providing excellent
brood-rearing habitat for birds and abundant food
and cover for many other wildlife and insect species.
While we’re still experimenting with open-gate
technique, I like what I’ve seen so far. Each year,
the first paddock grazed gets the kind of seasonlong intensive grazing we want and then rests for
the following season and part of the next. Other
paddocks receive intermediate levels of grazing
intensity and duration, resulting in a variety of
habitat structure for wildlife and growing conditions
for plants. The stocking rate of cattle is the same as
what we’d use in any other grazing rotation, so I’m
optimizing our income. However, instead of trying
to graze the entire pasture evenly, I’m “overutilizing”
some parts of the pasture and “underutilizing”
others. Because the “overutilized” areas get plenty of
time to recover, we’re not degrading the long-term
health of our grasses, but are sustaining high plant
diversity and good wildlife numbers.
The ‘open gate’ management approach creates a wide range of habitat structure across the prairie, created by
various stages of intensive grazing and recovery.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
27
CRANES ON THE PLATTE AT MARTIN’S REACH IN HALL COUNTY
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
By Renae Blum
With its typically unpredictable weather, March is good for
both indoor and outdoor activities. Here are some activities
that outdoor enthusiasts might enjoy. Learn more about park
events listed below at Calendar.OutdoorNebraska.gov. N
What To Do in March
View sandhill cranes
Throughout the month | Central
Nebraska
More than half a million sandhill cranes descend
upon central Nebraska this time of year, producing
one of the most remarkable wildlife spectacles in
the world. Places for viewing include the Crane
Trust Nature and Visitor Center, Iain Nicolson
Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary, Fort Kearny
State Recreation Area and the North River
Wildlife Management Area.
TURKEY HUNTING IN THE PINE RIDGE
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Nebraska Game
and Parks
Commission
meeting
March 20, 8 a.m.
Central Community
College, Hastings
Prepare for spring turkey
season
Incredible opportunities await turkey hunters this
spring. Set yourself up for success by scouting for a
place where turkeys are still flocked up and getting
permission from landowners. In the final weeks
of the month, set up your blind near roosting and
feeding sites and start hunting when archery season
opens March 25.
The National Archery in the Schools Program, or NASP, produces
some of the best youth archers in Nebraska. On the 21st, more than
800 students in the program will gather for the largest archery
tournament in the state. “It’s a spectacle to behold,” says Game and
Parks’ Education Manager Jeff Rawlinson. For more information
about NASP, visit OutdoorNebraska.org/nasp.
March 21, 10 a.m.
Wildcat Hills Nature
Center
TROUT FISHING AT TWO RIVERS STATE RECREATION AREA
PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
Throughout the month | Statewide
Early spring is a good time of year to hit a
trout stream, especially on sunny days when
trout are more likely to be active. Watch
OutdoorNebraska.org for reports on where rainbow
trout will be stocked across the state.
Nebraskaland • March 2020
March 21 | Lancaster Event Center
Spring Equinox:
Traditions and
Celebrations
Go trout fishing
28
Attend the Nebraska NASP State
Tournament
Attend this month’s Schramm
Sunday Speaker event
March 15, 2-3 p.m. | Schramm Education Center
Learn how you can contribute to scientific research in
Nebraska and beyond at this presentation, “People Powered
Science,” by Nebraska Game and Parks Watchable Wildlife
Biologist Alie Mayes.
BIRD WATCHING
PHOTO BY MARKO NICHOLIC
Throughout the month | Statewide
NASP TOURNAMENT AT THE LANCASTER EVENT CENTER IN LINCOLN
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
Outdoor Nebraska
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
29
2019 FLOOD
Game and Parks Still
Working to Recover
F
numerous fisheries. The estimated cost
to clean up and repair the damage adds
up to nearly $19 million.
For some outdoor enthusiasts, the
flooding meant looking for different
places to camp, fish or hunt, as many
areas were closed for extended periods,
some the entire year. For Game and
Parks, it meant $1.2 million in lost
revenue from Park Entry Permit sales,
campsite rentals and other activity fees.
The agency has worked to repair as
much of the damage as possible, and
has been formulating a plan to finish
the work and return these resources
to the condition that Nebraskans
know and love. Paying for the repairs,
however, remains a challenge for the
agency, which is funded primarily by
user fees. Those fees haven’t been
able to keep up with the needs the
agency has, not only for expansion
of services, but also for maintenance
of existing facilities. With help from
PHOTO BY JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY
or many Nebraskans, 2019 was
a tough year. Historic flooding
in March sent nearly every river
in the eastern half of the state out
of its banks, washing out highways,
bridges, dams, levees, farms and
homes, and killing four people and
countless livestock.
Flooding along the Missouri River
in southeastern Nebraska continued
throughout the year. More floods hit
south-central Nebraska in July and the
northeast in September. It is estimated
that the flooding caused more than $3
billion in damage to infrastructure and
property in Nebraska.
Publicly owned lands managed by the
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission
were not spared. Of the 76 state parks
and recreation areas it oversees, 28
were damaged by flooding. So were 67
of the state’s 289 wildlife management
areas, several segments of the Cowboy
Recreation and Nature Trail, and
Flood waters pushed day-use-area picnic tables and debris into the woods at
Two Rivers State Recreation Area.
30
Nebraskaland • March 2020
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
BY ERIC FOWLER
A deluge of water and ice washed out Spencer Dam on the Niobrara River in Boyd County March 14.
the Nebraska Legislature in recent
years, Game and Parks was beginning
to make headway on a $76 million
backlog in maintenance projects.
The
Federal
Emergency
Management Agency will provide
considerable assistance, covering 75
percent of the cost of eligible repairs.
It is hoped the Legislature will
provide assistance as well. Getting
that money in hand takes time. And
with a considerable share still falling
on Game and Parks, it will likely put
some construction and maintenance
projects that had been planned on hold.
But the work will be done, because
the resources, and the enjoyment they
provide Nebraskans and visitors to our
state, are worthwhile investments.
“The damage was major, but we
were fortunate. No staff or visitors
were hurt,” said Jim Douglas, director
of Game and Parks. “Our staff worked
long hours in dangerous conditions to
evacuate several communities, staff
worked hard to put affected properties
back together, and hundreds of
volunteers turned out to help clean
up debris. We moved quickly to
repair roads and other infrastructure,
and upgraded electrical pedestals
at several campgrounds. Our staff
responded with agility and ingenuity,
while keeping an eye on the future.
“This response reinforced a few
things that have long been evident
to me: our staff cares deeply about
the resources we manage, the public
cherishes our state’s parks and other
outdoor resources, and Nebraskans,
by and large, value the Commission’s
work.”
Parks
When rain began to fall on melting
snow in early March, water that
rushed into the frozen Niobrara River
broke up ice that was up to two feet
thick and sent it downstream. The
pressure of the increased flows and ice
proved more than Spencer Dam, built
in 1927, could handle.
When the dam breached on March
14, it unleashed a 10 to 15 foot wall
of ice and water. Below the dam, the
Straw Bale Saloon and a campground
were erased, and the saloon’s owner,
Kenny Angel, killed. Spencer Dam
WMA, an area managed by Game
and Parks and popular among catfish
anglers, was scoured by flows, and the
Highway 281 bridge washed out. As it
continued to the Missouri River, the
ice and water wiped out more bridges,
businesses, homes and farms. South of
Verdel, a river gauge measured flows
at 123,000 cubic feet per second where
flows are normally 2,000 cfs.
One of those bridges was located
about 35 miles downriver on
Highway 12 at Niobrara, where the
river crested nearly 7 feet above
previous record. Videos posted on
social media of the 450-foot span of
concrete and steel floating away on a
river of ice illustrated the power of the
flooding that was already happening,
or soon would be, across eastern
Nebraska.
A mile downriver, a historic steel
railroad bridge that now served as a
link on a popular trail running from
Niobrara State Park to the village of
Niobrara was swept away, as were
other bridges and sections of trail. Due
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
31
The flooding that occurred last March in Nebraska was expected
expected.
The scale, however, was not. And as rivers crept out of their banks
and topped and carved holes in levees, many people who assumed
they would be safe found themselves stranded in their homes, some
at risk of being swept away.
Game and Parks Commission staff, including conservation officers
and fisheries and wildlife biologists, did what Nebraskans often do in
situations such as this: they jumped in to help.
Using a variety of boats, staff braved rising waters, strong currents
and high winds, dodging debris, fences and other submerged
obstacles, to rescue 148 people, young and old, during the peak of
the flooding, pulling some from rooftops and second-story windows.
Numerous pets were given rides to safety with their owners. Staff
helped evacuate several housing developments along the Platte,
Elkhorn and Big Blue rivers.
Not counted in the above number were the residents moved from
a nursing home in Wood River surrounded by floodwaters, and
reuniting parents with children who were stranded overnight in a
daycare in Fremont. In western Nebraska, officers helped rescue 20
stranded motorists on highways during the blizzard.
Work went beyond rescues. Staff helped evacuate some housing
developments and fill sandbags ahead of advancing floodwaters,
delivered medicine to those who needed it, ferried people to
hospitals for dialysis appointments and to visit a cancer-stricken
patient and more. In the days after, they used kayaks and airboats
to rescue pets that were stranded when homes in Bellevue flooded
while their owners were at work.
Levi Krause, a conservation officer from Louisville, spent four days
using his air boat to help other first responders rescue 60 people and
their pets, earning him an Award of Valor from the agency’s Board
of Commissioners and the Law Enforcement Commendation Medal
from the Nebraska Society of the Sons of the American Revolution.
Conservation officers shared the Lifesaving Valor Award from the Mead
Fire and Rescue Department. All Game and Parks staff members who
assisted in flooding efforts were recognized for going above and beyond
the call of duty to keep people safe. Krause and others involved say they
were simply doing their job, just like so many other first responders.
32
Nebraskaland • March 2020
Slabs of ice remained on the trail at Niobrara State Park five days after flooding washed out a section of the historic
railroad bridge across the Niobrara River that linked the park to the village of Niobrara March 14.
backwaters on the park’s bottomland
to flowing chutes, just as it did during
the Missouri River flood in 2011, and
damaged the boat ramp.
Flooding continued into November
and December on the Missouri in
southeastern Nebraska. At Nebraska
City, Riverview Marina SRA, where
the campground was damaged and
four feet of silt had to be removed from
the shower house, remains closed. At
Indian Cave State Park, numerous mud
slides damaged the boardwalk and
covered the road to the cave. While
the road was cleared and reopened in
November, repairs to the boardwalk
remain. The boat ramp remains closed.
The reservoir at Willow Creek SRA
rose 10 feet, damaging most of the
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
PHOTO BY DINA BARTA
Conservation officer Travis Shepler (steering boat) helping evacuate
residents of Seward who were caught unexpectedly in the floods of the
Big Blue River.
to repeated damage caused by flooding
and the high cost, it is doubtful that
the trail will be repaired.
With the highway closed, a commute
between the park and town that took
minutes now took hours, and the park
struggled to find staff during the busy
summer season. Damage to Highway
12 west of the park wasn’t repaired
until May. With access difficult,
fewer people visited the park and the
village, and both lost business. When
a temporary bridge was completed and
the highway reopened in August, the
town threw a party.
The Platte River crested at 4 feet
above flood stage, an all-time record,
on March 16 at Louisville. Fremont
Lakes, Two Rivers and Louisville state
recreation areas all sit on the banks of
the Platte and were some of the most
heavily damaged parks.
At all three parks, campsites were
damaged by water, sand and ice,
including Two Rivers, where ice sheared
off electrical pedestals in the popular
Cottonwood campground. Water rose
high enough at Two Rivers to spill into
the 10 Union Pacific caboose cabins,
and roads were washed out both in
the park and leading to it. At Fremont,
several roads washed out, including
the one leading to the Pathfinder
Campground, forcing the construction
of a new access road. Staff housing and
shops were damaged at all three parks,
as was the office at Louisville.
A new boat ramp and canoe and
kayak launch at Louisville, part of the
Commission’s Venture Parks initiative,
was heavily damaged. New launches
were also damaged upriver at Schramm
Park SRA and Platte River State Park,
as were railings and bridge supports on
the Lied Bridge, another popular trail
link. The bridge, owned by the Lower
Platte South Natural Resource District
and managed by Game and Parks,
will remain closed until debris can be
removed and damage fully assessed.
At Ponca State Park on the Missouri,
flooding inundated the Riverfront
campground and washed out a portion
of the road circling it. It also turned
PHOTO BY MARY SNOWDON
Doing Their Job
Heavy rains in May, on the heels of a wet winter, caused numerous mud
slides that damaged the boardwalk and covered the road to the cave at
Indian Cave State Park in Richardson County. The road reopened in November.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
33
PHOTO BY BRAD EIFERT
A culvert on the East Branch of Verdigre Creek at the Grove Trout Rearing
Station washed out March 14. Quick repairs were required so hatchery staff
could access trout in the raceways and ponds.
Heavy rains July 8-9 sent Kea Lake at the Kearney Interchange out of its banks,
flooding the parking lot and boat ramp of the wildlife management area.
34
Nebraskaland • March 2020
a 100-year-old box culvert in an
embankment is failing and causing
the trail to collapse. East of Long Pine,
another embankment washed out.
Near Neligh, Oakdale and Norfolk,
the Elkhorn River caused significant
erosion on the embankment. Bridge
approaches were damaged at O’Neill
and Neligh. The estimated cost of
repairs for damage to the trail in 2019
is $7.7 million.
Fisheries
When the Platte River breached
a levee separating it from a private
sandpit lake west of Fremont, it
sent floodwater flowing through
that sandpit and washed out the
embankment and road separating it
from Lake 20 on the southwestern
corner of Fremont Lakes SRA. Flows
continued through Lake 20, washing
out the bank separating it from Lake
Leba, a private sandpit to the east.
That connection to the Platte
allowed common carp, gizzard shad
and other undesirable species of
rough fish to enter the sandpit lakes.
These species can disrupt an aquatic
ecosystem by clouding the water or
competing with game fish for food.
Additionally, the flush of nutrients
brought in by floodwaters can fuel
algae blooms, another detriment to
water quality.
Overland flooding carried rough
fish into numerous public and private
sandpit lakes along the Platte,
Elkhorn, Loup and other rivers and
streams in March, and again in July.
Many of these lakes had undergone
treatments to remove carp and had
developed into excellent fisheries for
largemouth bass, bluegills, crappies
and other species. In many lakes, those
treatments will have to be repeated to
restore the fisheries. Once restocked,
fish need at least three years to grow
big enough to be coveted by anglers.
At Fremont, crews repairing the
road along Lake 20 were forced to put
culverts in to handle the water that
continues to flow in from the Platte
and through the lakes, putting work to
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
helping assure parks could reopen by
Memorial Day.
There is still much to be done.
Picnic tables, pit toilets, fire rings
and other campground amenities will
have to be repaired or replaced. Where
campgrounds were under water for
extended periods, damage to electrical
service was costly as numerous
service panels and pedestals will need
to be replaced. In all, repair costs to the
parks are estimated at $7.7 million.
That doesn’t include damage to The
Cowboy Recreation and Nature Trail
that spans much of northern Nebraska
and was complete from Valentine
to Norfolk. It was damaged in 170
locations, forcing the closure of five
segments of the trail. Near Valentine,
PHOTO BY JOE CASSIDY
campsites, destroying two fishing piers,
damaging several breakwaters and, on
the reservoir’s upper end, a causeway
that is part of a trail that circles the lake
and links to nearby Pierce.
On the Elkhorn River, the
bottomland portion of Dead Timber
SRA was inundated, washing out the
campground and the road to it, both of
which reopened in late summer.
On the popular Elkhorn River Water
Trail, three access points maintained
by Papio-Missouri River NRD between
Bennington and Omaha were damaged
by flooding and closed much of the year.
More than 300 volunteers helped
Game and Parks staff on projects at
several areas, including Louisville and
Fremont, in the months after the flood,
Record precipitation in early 2019 caused Round Lake on the Valentine National Wildlife Refuge to spill from its normal
pool east of Highway 83 and cover the road between Thedford and Valentine, reducing it to one-way traffic from June
into November. High water closed other roads in the Sandhills, including Highway 97 south of Merritt Reservoir.
restore the fishery in Lake 20 on hold.
Of the 20 lakes at Fremont, only two,
Lakes 9 and 17, didn’t flood. It also
appears that Lakes 1 through 8 on the
park’s northwestern corner were spared
from the reintroduction of carp. The
rest of the lakes will eventually need
to be renovated. Other work to improve
water quality and fishing in recent
years included the application of alum
to tie up nutrients and control algae
blooms. That work, which had been
successful, may need to be repeated.
At Two Rivers SRA, all seven lakes
flooded and now contain carp and
other rough fish, including the Trout
Lake. A renovation will be required
there to maintain that popular putand-take fishery. At Louisville SRA,
all five lakes flooded but only Lakes
1 and 1A showed carp in sampling
and will need to be renovated. Lake 2
may be treated to remove shad. Carp
also found their way into waters at
Memphis and North Loup SRAs and
Ravenna Lake in March.
In early July, heavy rains in southcentral Nebraska caused flooding on
the Platte and Republican rivers and
their tributaries. At Sandy Channel
SRA near Elm Creek, floodwaters
washed out the main road into the
area, which also separated Lakes 4
and 8. The road was repaired and the
park reopened in November. Dikes
separating Lakes 1A and 2 from the
south channel of the Platte were
damaged. Carp invaded into four of
the eight lakes on the area, including
Lake 8, which had water quality high
enough that it had become a popular
site for scuba diving.
Near Kearney, flooding on Turkey
Creek west of town brought carp and
nutrients into sandpits at Yanney
Park, Kearney Rest Stop, Kea West
and Bufflehead WMAs, four Archway
Lakes and numerous private lakes,
all popular fisheries because of the
quality and the proximity to the city.
Harlan County Lake, a U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers reservoir, rose 11
feet into its flood pool, inundating
campgrounds, boat ramps and other
facilities, limiting access to anglers for
the rest of the summer.
In the Sandhills, precipitation that
was well above normal for the year
raised the level of groundwater and
that of the numerous natural lakes
in the region. The flooding closed
highways and county roads, making
access difficult to some of these
popular fisheries. It also flooded the
cabins and concession at Big Alkali
WMA, forcing the area to close for
the year. While the campground has
reopened, it is not known when, or if,
the cabins and concession will reopen.
With water levels high, plans to
renovate more lakes on the Valentine
National Wildlife Refuge were delayed.
A fish bypass built by Game and
Parks’ Aquatic Habitat Program at
Spalding Dam on the Cedar River
was not damaged, but the historic
hydroelectric dam itself was breached
in March. The Gracie Creek Trout Pond
at Calamus Reservoir SRA will have
to be dredged to sand that washed in
during the flood.
The Valentine State Fish Hatchery
and the Grove Trout Rearing Station
were both damaged by flooding in
March. At Valentine, dikes separating
several ponds were washed out and
others damaged, and several hatchery
ponds were filled with silt. At Grove, a
diversion dam on the East Branch of
Verdigre Creek was damaged, roads
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
35
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The same can be said for other
wildlife areas popular among hunters
and anglers on the Missouri, including
Niobrara Confluence and Bazile Creek
WMAs near Niobrara, and William
Gilmour/Tobacco Island, Peru Bottoms
and Langdon Bend, areas owned and
managed by the U.S. Army Corps of
Engineers in the southeastern corner
of the state. A full assessment of the
damage on those areas has yet to be
completed, as most were inundated
throughout the year.
Some access roads have yet to be
repaired and cleared of fallen trees
and debris on many wildlife areas that
were affected, a fact that made access
difficult for hunters this past season.
Berms and water control structures on
wetlands were damaged as well. The
shops at Syas and Schilling remain
closed and will likely be moved to
areas that are not flood prone. The
shop and outbuildings at Oak Valley
WMA, which sits on Battle Creek and
also suffered heavy flood damage in
March, may also be moved to high
ground. The total cost of all repairs is
estimated at $2.5 million.
While wildlife was certainly
displaced by flooding in 2019,
populations are not believed to have
been greatly affected. While some
furbearers such as beavers and river
otters may have perished when their
dens were hit by ice, most birds and
mammals are capable of moving to
washed out and ponds filled with silt.
To renovate and restock lakes where
rough fish were introduced will cost an
estimated $1 million.
As for the fish in other rivers,
streams and reservoirs, the effects of
the flood are yet to be known. Creeks
in north-central Nebraska, including
Long Pine, Plum and Bone in Brown
County, flooded, but most structures
that had been installed to improve
habitat for rainbow and brown trout
were not damaged.
On the Missouri River, increased
flows through Lewis and Clark Lake
and five upstream reservoirs likely
moved fish through that system just
as it did in 2011. After that flood,
paddlefish, pallid sturgeon and
walleye stocked above the dam were
found below it. Farther downstream,
extensive flooding for much of the year
led to increased production of blue and
channel catfish, sickelfin chubs, blue
suckers and other native fish that were
able to spawn in inundated habitat on
the floodplain. Fishing proved difficult
to impossible for anglers, as river boat
ramps were underwater throughout
the year.
36
Nebraskaland • March 2020
Wildlife
Flowing from the Sandhills and fed
primarily by groundwater, the Loup
River and its tributaries don’t flood
as often as rivers and streams fed by
surface runoff. But under conditions
such as seen in 2019, they do. On
March 14, Loup River hit a record
level at Genoa, cresting at nearly 7
feet above flood stage, washing out
Highway 39 south of the town.
About 2 miles downstream of the
highway, where the river turns north at
George Syas WMA, floodwaters moved
overland to the east. On the inside of
the bend, massive cottonwoods and
other trees were toppled by ice and
water. Standing trees now carry scars
where ice gouged their bark 8 to 10 feet
above the ground. Sand was deposited
across the bend, measuring 4 feet
deep in places and splaying out across
roughly half of the area’s 700 acres.
In the middle of the bend, Game
and Parks staff, knowing a flood was
coming, had moved equipment onto
work benches in the maintenance
shop, thinking it would be safe. During
previous floods, water had reached
depths of more than 2 feet in the shop
and office. The new high-water mark
is 44 inches above the floor. Flowing
water undercut the base of a barn and
damaged other outbuildings.
Floodwaters on the Loup continued
downstream to the Platte. Near that
river’s mouth at the Missouri River,
floodwaters topped a levee on the
south bank, flowed through two
private sandpit lakes and then across
Schilling WMA. For the rest of 2019,
the Platte was carving a new course
to the Missouri through the area. In
January, that breach was closed, a
move made to preserve the integrity
of the Missouri’s navigation channel.
Schilling has flooded numerous
times in recent years, most recently
in 2011. Water had spilled into the
office there three times, reaching a
depth of 3 feet in 2011. In 2019, it
was 7.5 feet deep. As was the case in
2011, water covered much of the area
for most of the year, finally dropping
below flood stage in November. Access
roads on the area, including the main
road leading from Plattsmouth 3 miles
north to the mouth of the Platte, were
washed out and massive amounts of
sand were deposited on the area.
PHOTO BY NEAL VAN WINKLE
Floodwaters on the Loup River in March deposited feet of sand on the bottomland at George Syas Wildlife
Management Area near Genoa in Platte County.
higher ground. The biggest losses may
have been due to the harsh winter. In
the western half of the state, a few
mule deer deaths were documented
following blizzards, and bobwhite
quail didn’t fare well throughout the
state. Wet conditions during May and
June hampered nesting success for
pheasants, quail and prairie grouse.
The flood and heavy precipitation
appears to have helped some species,
however. Threatened least terns
benefitted from the increase in
sandbars created on the Niobrara,
Loup and Platte rivers. In the Sandhills,
nesting success for ducks and geese
was the highest it’s been in at least
10 years thanks to ample wetlands.
Duck production was as high as it has
been for decades in Rainwater Basin
wetlands, where American avocets
and cattle egrets were found to have
nested for the first time on record.
The changes to the landscape on
some areas may benefit some wildlife
species in the years to come by
creating a maze of early successional
habitat. On riverine areas where sand
and silt was deposited, a flush of
sunflowers and other annual plants
will flourish. Willows and cottonwoods
will colonize sandbars and other areas
where deposited. On meandering rivers
like the Elkhorn, Cedar and Calamus,
new oxbow lakes and wetlands were
created where the river cut across a
bend and made a new course. N
Historic
Flooding
Record
d snowfall
f ll was
recorded at many locations
across Nebraska in early
2019. Cold temperatures in
February kept most of that
snow from melting, pushed
the frost line deep into the
ground and formed a heavy
layer of ice on rivers. Then
Winter Storm Ulmer arrived on
March 13. The bomb cyclone
brought blizzard conditions to
western Nebraska, and warm
temperatures and 3 inches of
rain in eastern Nebraska. With
the ground frozen, the rain
and rapidly melting snow ran
off into rivers and streams,
sending a rush of water and
ice downriver. Thirty stream
gauges, including those on
the Loup, North Loup, Wood,
Niobrara, Platte, and Elkhorn
rivers and several creeks,
reached all-time record highs.
Total precipitation for 2019
was well above normal across
most of Nebraska, and other
Northern Plains states, with
record levels recorded in some
locations. That kept most
rivers, including those fed by
groundwater in the Sandhills,
at levels well above normal
throughout the year.
Runoff in the Missouri River
basin above Sioux City nearly
matched the record set in
2011, forcing the Corps of
Engineers to release nearly
more water than normal from
Gavins Point Dam. These
releases combined with high
flows from other tributaries
below the dam kept the river
above flood stage in some
locations for most of the year.
River levels remain above
normal across Nebraska,
raising the possibility of more
flooding in 2020.
Floodwaters from the Platte and Missouri rivers inundated the shop and
office at Schilling Wildlife Management Area at Plattsmouth.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
37
Bill Green a World War II Soldier
By David L. Bristow, History Nebraska
ater this year the world will mark the 75th anniversary
of the end of World War II. Here is the story of one of the
many Nebraskans who served in that war.
William Green wrote to his mother in Lincoln on
February 13, 1945:
“Dear Mom,
“The way your letters sound, it looks like you’re not getting
any mail from me. I’ve written quite often and they should
eventually catch up to you ... Don’t for Pete’s sake worry about
me being a casualty. That’s the last thing I thought you’d do.
L
the Siegfried Line, the bunker-studded defensive line on
Germany’s western border. Green was posthumously awarded
the Bronze Star and Purple Heart. He was 19 years old.
Worldwide, tens of millions of families were grieving in
those years and for decades after. Green’s parents kept his
letters, photographs, scouting uniforms and other effects. He
had been a promising artist in addition to studying vertebrate
paleontology at the University of Nebraska before he entered
military service.
The family eventually donated the collection to History
Nebraska; Green’s letters are digitized and can be read online
as part of “The War: Nebraska Stories” at nebraskastudies.org.
While it is impossible to collect more than a representative
sample from the thousands of Nebraskans who served, the
stories and objects of individuals such as Bill Green help
personalize the overwhelming scope and vast numbers of
World War II. N
Visit History Nebraska’s website at history.nebraska.gov.
Less than a decade separated Bill Green the Cub Scout from
Bill Green the soldier. History Nebraska 9234-45
Corporal William E. Green, ca. 1944-45. History Nebraska
RG2025AM
home, February 13
13, 1945
1945.
First page of Green’s last letter home
History Nebraska RG2025AM
38
Nebraskaland
• March 2020
Maybe I’ll do what some people do, and not write the truth
so you won’t worry. Some fellows do that and maybe they’re
right. I can assure you that I’m not a casualty and probably
won’t be….”
Green was right about the slowness of communication.
On March 14 his family received the telegram that no parent
wants to receive. By then Green had been dead two weeks,
having succumbed to wounds received while fighting on
Green’s parents received this telegram on March 14, 1945. History Nebraska RG2025AM
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
39
Those
Alluring
Orbs
When photographing
Nebraska’s great places, the
moon and the sun are always
welcome to the scene.
I planned this moon
shot to occur after a
November afternoon of
hunting ducks in northern
Sioux County. The distinct
landform is Sugarloaf
Butte, which is on private
property adjacent to the
Oglala National Grassland.
I didn’t notice the bird
perched atop the butte
until I viewed the images
on my computer screen
or I might have tried to
do something to make it
stand out.
Photos and Story by Justin Haag
W
hether it be the fast-beating wings of a zigzagging teal
or the earth-hammering legs of a sprinting pronghorn,
a quick “trigger finger” is often necessary for capturing
imagery of the region’s natural resources.
Perhaps no photo subjects, though, get me in hot pursuit
more than two that are the farthest from the camera. One is
about 239,000 miles away. The other, almost 93 million miles.
When you’re trying to catch them, even at that distance,
each seems to move incredibly fast. What’s more, they never
pause for the photographer.
I’m referring, of course, to the moon and the sun. As a
photographer, or just a person who loves to marvel at nature’s
creations, I thrive on those fleeting moments when one of
the two most prominent features of the sky is juxtaposed
with a beautiful Nebraska landmark. Our magnificent
landscapes are just a little bit more magnificent with a big
sphere hanging low above them.
Those who have experienced it surely agree: Western
Nebraska, with its wide-open spaces and remarkable
topography, is tough to beat for pairing celestial objects with
terrestrial scenes.
40
Nebraskaland • March 2020
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
41
ABOVE: Usually, a bright moon is detrimental to capturing
photos of stars. The “blood moon,” in which the earth briefly
casts a shadow upon the moon, however, provided the
opportunity to photograph Trunk Butte under the stars.
Even though the moon is dimmed during the lunar eclipse, it
still appears as the brightest object in the sky.
RIGHT: The ever-photogenic Crow Butte looks even better
with a moon on top.
OPPOSITE RIGHT: Rugged Pine Ridge scenery paired with
a pretty sunrise that even features an outline of the sun.
What’s not to love?
42
Nebraskaland • March 2020
ABOVE: With views of buttes in multiple
directions, Fort Robinson State Park is
well-suited for moon photography. This
is one morning’s view of perhaps the
park’s most-photographed landforms,
the Red Cloud Buttes.
LEFT: While western Nebraska provides
a wealth of opportunities for capturing
the moon and sun, perhaps the state’s
best bet to get wildlife in the scene
occurs along the Platte River farther
east during the annual migration of
about 600,000 sandhill cranes.
OPPOSITE: When the view is
unobstructed, even much shorter
subjects are game at sunset. This
natural bouquet of western wallflower
and other pretty plants was captured
from prone position on the Oglala
Grassland in May.
44
Nebraskaland • March 2020
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
45
Tips for Photographing the
Moon and Sun
Plan your shot. A wealth of
resources exist to help you know
when and where the sun and moon
will rise. I use the Sun Surveyor smartphone app.
•
Exposure on lunar images can be a challenge, as the
camera’s meter will surely adjust for the moon’s surroundings
and deliver a blown-out white circle with none of the lovely
cheese-like topography. Because the moon is lit by the sun,
the “Sunny 16 Rule” is an effective place to start. That is, at
an aperture of f/16 set the shutter speed to match your ISO.
For example, 1/100 second for ISO 100. If elements in the
atmosphere are making it less bright, adjust accordingly.
•
• For the best moon images, shoot during “the blue hour.” That’s
the period of twilight in which the moon is low and the sun is
below the horizon, yet provides enough indirect light to illuminate
the scene with a blue cast. Ideally, the brightness of the moon and
partially obscured sun will come close to matching that of whatever
foreground element you are trying to include in the scene.
Shoot in RAW mode, which will give you more capability to
make adjustments to exposure and other settings later.
•
Use a lens with a large focal length, essential for capturing
the enormity of the sun or moon as it appears to your eyes.
Most of my best moon shots were taken at 500mm. The
bigger the telephoto, the farther you will need to be from your
foreground subject. For instance, for the image of Sugarloaf
Butte in this spread, I was on Toadstool Road at the ghost town
of Orella, which is about one mile away from the butte.
•
ABOVE: On an August morning at Medicine Creek Wildlife
Management Area in southwestern Nebraska, the haze was
perfect for photographing the sun. I was thankful that a
mourning dove helped decorate the scene.
RIGHT: Of course, not only natural subjects are appealing
when paired with the moon and sun. Tall man-made
structures, such as the iconic water towers at Fort Robinson
State Park, also make ideal subjects.
• Invest in a solid tripod and cable release. Shooting in low light
conditions requires long exposures and the most miniscule of
movements will blur the image at a long focal length. To avoid
camera shake, this is the time to incorporate the “mirror lock-up”
feature, if your camera has it. I spend a lot of time cussing the
wind, which is sure to move a big lens hood, during these shots.
Be ready and willing to move. One nice thing about shooting
these scenes in western Nebraska is that there is plenty of
elbow room. I am always thankful, or at least hopeful, there are
not people watching me during these shoots, because I surely
look goofy running around with a tripod or two trying to get in
just the right spot.
•
46
Nebraskaland • March 2020
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
47
AMy experience
Weekend
of
Exploration
of Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
By Renae Blum
PHOTO BY RENAE BLUM
Volunteers demonstrated how to clean fish, and then cooked it for the
women in the bowfishing workshop.
Day One
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
A
s part of the communications team at Nebraska Game
and Parks, I have been aware of the Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman Weekend Workshop for a long
time, a three-day event featuring a variety of outdoors
skills workshops for women. Each year I received e-mails
encouraging employees to attend, but always resisted.
I’ll admit it: I am not an “outdoors woman.” My hobbies –
reading, cooking fancy recipes, watching foreign films – are
usually indoor ones. I also have trouble learning skills like
dancing or knitting that involve physical coordination or
mimicking an instructor’s movements. I could see a lot of
potential for embarrassment in this.
The thing is, though, I wanted to spend more time outside.
48
Nebraskaland • March 2020
My job has convinced me that some of the best experiences
in life can be found outdoors. So I checked out the workshop
list. As it happened, there were four workshops that fit
activities I’d already tried and wanted to learn more about
(camping, kayaking) or wanted to learn (biking).
Being an introvert, I didn’t relish the idea of going alone,
so I asked my good friend and roommate, Emily, to come
with me. She’s not an “outdoors woman,” either, but loves
taking walks around Holmes Lake. She’s also a steadying
presence, easygoing and more impervious to potential
embarrassment. If she went there was a good chance I’d
have fun, even if I hated the workshops themselves.
She said yes.
Around 100 women attended the
2019 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
Weekend Workshop, an annual event
that gives women the opportunity
to learn new outdoor skills through
hands-on workshops.
Driving into Ponca State Park, the site of the 2019 event, was the first
sign I was going to enjoy myself. The park is thickly forested, with tall trees
curving above the road. It felt like an outdoors getaway.
Our first workshop was on kayaking. I had kayaked once before, briefly,
and still remember hanging on every word of the safety instruction, and
the helpless feeling when my kayak was shoved out into the water. Once I
was out there, though, I found that it was fairly intuitive, and was eager to
try it again. This time around, I got tips on technique and buying gear. Our
instructors, Christy Christiansen and Julie Geiser, were excellent, sharing
stories of their own experiences along with in-depth instruction.
We had about one-and-a-half hours on the lake. With more time to enjoy
the experience, I found that kayaking lent itself to something I was already
doing in my free time: meditation. Everything slowed down. I became more
aware of what I was seeing, feeling and hearing. It was just – nice. And unlike
the typical meditation session, I enjoyed every moment of it.
Later, before dinner and wine tasting, staff offered white bass, bluegill, pike,
crappie, drum and smoked trout just off the grill. It was my first taste of freshly
caught Nebraska fish. If you’ve never tried some, you’re missing out.
Day Two
Camping Hacks was our first session of the day, and I was hoping I could
learn something my backpacking dad might not know. I did! For example,
a mixture of candlewax and dryer lint in an egg carton makes great tinder.
We also discussed ways to keep kids entertained during a camping trip and
different food and water containers you can find around the house. It didn’t
translate directly to the backpacking Dad and I have done, but it gave me
insight into something different.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
49
Other Workshop Opportunities
Volunteer instructor Doug Ellis of Allen teaches Liz Lancaster of
Cody in the Beginning Shotgun Shooting workshop.
History of BOW
PHOTO BY BOB GRIER
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The four workshops I selected, on
camping, kayaking, bowfishing and
biking, were just a few that were offered.
A number of workshops had a hunting
focus, such as Hunting with Handguns,
Beginning Shotgun Shooting, Rifle
Marksmanship/Muzzleloading, and Deer
Processing. Those interested in fishing
had several other opportunities as well,
with workshops covering fish cleaning and
cooking, fly-fishing and advanced fishing
tactics. Rounding out the workshop
list were sessions covering a variety of
other outdoor interests: canning and
preserving, birding and bird identification,
photography, hiking and backpacking,
reading the woods, and more. The
selection of workshops differs from year
to year; to learn what is offered this year,
visit OutdoorNebraska.org/bow.
came away feeling that this was something
I could conquer if I spent more time with it.
Looking back now, what stands out to me
is that these workshops weren’t just meant to
be fun, though they were. The primary goal
seemed to be empowering women to create
their own outdoor experiences when they got
home, backed up with practical knowledge
and hands-on experience.
I’m not going to say that Becoming
an Outdoors-Woman will transform you
instantly into an “outdoors woman.” I’m still
deciding if I’m going to give biking another
go, and would need more help to get into
bowfishing. But Emily and I have already
decided: We’re renting kayaks and getting out
on Holmes Lake this summer. I can’t wait. N
Carl Wolfe teaches camping and outdoor skills at the 1992 BOW
course held at the Nebraska National Forest at Halsey.
The 2020 Becoming an Outdoors-Woman
workshop is Oct. 2-4 at Fort Robinson State
Park. For more information on this program,
visit OutdoorNebraska.org/bow.
By Julie Geiser
Due to high winds and flooding conditions, our
next session, River Kayaking, was cancelled. Pushing
back my disappointment, I joined the bowfishing
group. I’d tried archery once before, and though I had
terrible aim and bruised myself with a mighty thwack
to the arm, I wasn’t opposed to trying it again. After
wrangling with the equipment a little, I started
enjoying myself. By the time we moved to aiming at a
plastic gar in the river, I’d gained some technique and
hit the target several times in a row. I found myself
grinning, enjoying the adrenaline. Later, we relaxed
by the shore, learning how to clean fish and nibbling
on freshly cooked carp.
That evening, the participants gathered in the
headquarters to judge desserts made that afternoon
by women in the Dutch oven cooking workshop, a
delicious way to finish the day.
Day 3
50
Nebraskaland • March 2020
PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
Our final workshop was Introduction to Biking.
I hadn’t biked since early grade school, and to my
surprise, it was harder for me than I expected. I
struggled to get going, to stay upright. Tears sprang to
my eyes. Instructor Jennifer Greer came to my rescue,
taking me aside for one-on-one instruction so I could
learn at my own pace. By the end of the session, I
can’t say that I felt totally confident on the bike, but
A program that is near and dear to me is the Becoming an
Outdoors-Woman (BOW) program. I have been blessed to be
a part of this program since it started in Nebraska 29 years
ago and am proud of what the program has accomplished
for thousands of women across the state.
The BOW program empowers women to pursue outdoor
adventures by giving them the skills needed to do so. An
annual workshop is held the first weekend in October, and
BOW provides many other events throughout the year.
Nebraska was the second state to offer the BOW
workshop. The program was developed in 1991 by Dr.
Christine Thomas at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens
Point College. Thomas’ research showed that women would
rather learn outdoor skills in a non-competitive environment
taught by other women.
The program is designed to break down barriers, allowing
women of different backgrounds and ages to enjoy outdoor
activities in a non-intimidating, friendly environment. The
annual three-day workshop is a weekend of hands-on
experiences, new skills and new friends. Activities such as
archery, fishing, shooting (shotgun, rifle and muzzleloading),
big game hunting, turkey hunting, photography, Dutch oven
cooking and camping are only part of the line-up of classes.
The workshop is held at Ponca State Park and Fort
Robinson State Park on a rotating basis, which allows
women to experience Nebraska’s state parks in two unique
settings.
To provide women with the next steps for their outdoor
pursuits, BOW has expanded with Beyond BOW. The Beyond
program offers a series of “how-to” learning sessions that
focus on outdoor skills and conservation knowledge.
These classes are offered throughout the year, and women
can participate in the entire series of how-to classes. Those
with more experience can hit the field to go on mentored
hunts, fishing trips, camping or kayaking adventures, to
name a few.
After getting familiar with the equipment, participants take aim at
a floating gar in the bowfishing workshop.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
51
JEFFERSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, FAIRBURY
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE NEBRASKA TOURISM COMMISSION
MIXED BAG
VISIT JEFFERSON COUNTY
By Erin Lenz, Nebraska Tourism Commission
Historic downtown Fairbury has something for everyone.
Rock Creek Station State Historical Park is one of its most
popular destinations, which outdoor enthusiasts and history
buffs alike will appreciate. See the deep ruts carved by
wagons on the Oregon Trail and explore reconstructed
buildings modeled after original structures that date back
to the 1850s. Then hike along the picturesque Rock Creek
and hear the story of how James Butler Hickok, also known
as Wild Bill, began his infamous gun-slinging reputation at
Rock Creek Station.
For more outdoor time, take a trip to Alexandria State
Recreation Area where lakes, a swimming beach and great
fishing opportunities will provide hours of entertainment. Its
Snack Shack is open seasonally.
Other interesting stops in Fairbury include the city
museum and city park. The museum documents the town’s
history and hosts a car show every September. The city
park features a new aquatic center and a unique wooden
playground covered with tall, shady trees.
Stop by Rowdy’s for lunch, where its huge chicken fried
steak called the “elephant ear” could satisfy the most
voracious of eaters. Jalisco Mexican Restaurant, located on
the square, offers old family recipes and is a local favorite.
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Nebraskaland • March 2020
Hometown Eatery is another lunch or dinner spot with its
wide-ranging menu of bakery treats, Reuben sandwiches
and pizza. Side Trek Bar and Grill in Harbine hosts a wing
night every Thursday.
Fairbury is a great place to visit in the summer months.
Don’t miss the races at the Jefferson County Speedway,
where the Jayhusker ¾ Midget Races are a hit during
the County Fair in July; over 1,000 fans pack the stands
during these two nights of racing. Or catch the Annual
Motorcyle Show and then stop in for a drink at the Salty Dog
Saloon in Steele City afterward, which offers live music in
the summer.
Find small-town hospitality at the Nebraska Prairie Rose
Bed & Breakfast in Daykin. One of the homes was built in
1917 and fully restored to its former Edwardian-era glory,
featuring a beautiful wraparound porch.
Or turn in for the night at Grayhouse Inn Bed & Breakfast
near downtown, Capri Motel, or Edgewood Hotel and Suites.
For nearly 130 years, Jefferson County has served as a
meeting place for travelers and explorers. The Oregon Trail
began the story and the community has since grown into
the diverse destination it is today – perfect for any weekend
getaway. See visitnebraska.com for more information.
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
53
MIXED BAG
THE BLESSINGS OF
BLESSINGS
By Roger Welsch
One of the great joys and comforts that have come to me
from my 60-plus years association with Native Americans,
starting with the Omahas in the 1950s and ‘60s, the Lakota
in the ‘60s and ‘70s, and now increasingly during the last
three decades with the Pawnee, has been the privilege of
being present when prayers are sent out, blessings asked,
and thanks offered, often sent on their way on wisps of
cedar, Indian tobacco or sweet grass smoke. To begin with,
there is the idea that as long as one is asking for the attention
of Wakonda or Tawadahut, one really should say what needs
to be said and not dismiss what should be a solemn exercise
with a few curt mutterings. Very early on in my experiences
in the Indian community I was asked to give a blessing at an
Omaha Indian gathering. I briefly expressed my gratitude
for the company, the food and our good fortune in being
together, and in what I suppose was a minute at the most,
said, “Amen.” As always, my Omaha friends were too polite
to mention my inappropriate brevity but I could tell that
the reviews were not good. I was not asked again to address
Wakonda for many years. As one Pawnee wit explained to
me, “An Indian blessing before a feast is never ended until all
the food is cold.”
While there are many styles and forms for Native prayer,
when it comes to prayers during Indian events, I now tend
to be rigidly orthodox: I want the whole works, spoken in the
old way, with nothing omitted. I like to hear a prayer started
with a few minutes spoken in a language I know the Great
Mysteries understand ... Lakota, Omaha or Pawnee, if for no
other reason, just to hear the ancient words spoken again,
perhaps words of respect or apology to the Great Mysterious
or This Immensity or The One Who Made All This, even if the
rest of the invocation is in English.
If the older, traditional, most complete format is used,
smoke is “thrown” and words spoken – blessing asked and
thanks given to the four directions: “The East, where the
day begins, the year begins, and our own lives begin; the
South, where day is at its highest, the year is at its fullest,
and we are in the strength of our lives; the West, where the
day draws to a close, year enters autumn and harvest, and
we become elders; and the North, where night gives rest
from the day, winter gives rest to the year, and where we all
eventually find our own rest from the trials of life.”
But those are, after all, not the only directions around us,
so blessings are asked and thanks given downward to Mother
Earth, from which all our blessings come and to which we
will return, and to the skies, from where comes the light and
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rain that gives life to Mother Earth. (I am always especially
moved at this point and silently offer my own thanks
because my Omaha name places me within the KonCe or
Wind, Clan, the clan of wind, storm, and sky.)
Then comes the part I appreciate most, recognition of all
our fellow creatures, with our own kind included with all the
others, where we belong, on equal footing since we are all in
this together, not separated from all the others who share the
earth and sky with us – “the two-leggeds, the four-leggeds,
those that fly above us, those that swim the waters, and
those that creep beneath the earth.” At this point special
blessings may be mentioned or mercies asked for others of
our “two-legged” species, living or gone “over the fourth
hill.”
All requests and thanks are sent with the sound of an
eagle feather “throwing” rich, sweet scent of “white” or
“flat” cedar (thuja occidentalis), sweet grass (Hierochlöe
odorata), or tobacco (often specially grown “wild” or “Indian”
tobacco) smoke to the directions indicated. Depending on the
inclinations of the person offering up the prayer, the name of
Jesus may be mentioned during the recitation, but for some
of us “traditionalists,” words in Native language loosely
translated “This Immensity,” “Great Mysterious,” or “The
One Who Made All This” pretty much covers the ground.
And more.
And so the prayer ends with each individual having the
opportunity to “bathe” in the cleansing smoke and perhaps
say a few words expressing their own thoughts.
As a result of all this, when I hear prayers, grace or
blessings offered in other than tribal contexts, I find myself
wanting to issue addenda because so much seems to be
omitted. And because I feel better when I am reminded of all
those things around me that are part of my life. And everyone
else’s lives, for that matter. And those whom my life affects.
All the other two-leggeds in my life, and the four-leggeds,
those that fly, swim, and creep ... Those that came before and
who are to follow ... So after prayers in non-Native situations
I often hesitate, perhaps only a moment, when everyone else
moves on and I fill in the blanks with my own thoughts about
where and who I am in “this immensity.”
And then when I get home, I may burn some dried white
cedar, thanking, by the way, the tree from whom I gathered
the incense. It’s the Indian way.
Roger Welsch is a folklorist, humorist and author who lives
in Dannebrog.
800-657-2184
pondtini.com
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LAKE MAC UPDATE
By Jerry Kane
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PHOTO BY ERIC FOWLER
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission voted to delay
consideration of the proposed Lake McConaughy Visitor
Management Plan at its meeting Jan. 22 in Lincoln.
Instead, Game and Parks staff will work with a
McConaughy-area advisory group to come up with revisions
to the plan and then present them at the Commission’s
March 20 meeting in Hastings.
Game and Parks has worked with local officials, park
visitors and the public on the plan to make Lake McConaughy
and Lake Ogallala state recreation areas better, safer and
more family-friendly. The plan called for controlled beach
access and designated camping to help ensure public safety
and address over-crowding and over-burdened infrastructure.
“The issues and challenges identified at Lake McConaughy
and Lake Ogallala remain,” Parks Division Administrator
Jim Swenson said. “The Commission has been tasked by
Keith County representatives to address those issues and
challenges. We look forward to working with a local advisory
group to gain success in restoring Lake McConaughy and
Lake Ogallala to quality and safe recreation environments.”
Hundreds of people attended a Game and Parks
informational open house at the Lake McConaughy Visitor
and Water Interpretive Center on Jan. 16. The agency also
has been accepting and reviewing public comments about
the plan.
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6 THINGS TO TRY THIS SPRING WHEN FISHING
By Larry Kurrus
I’ve been catching fish for more than
60 years, and I’m always looking for
something new to try. Whether you’re
new to fishing or “seasoned” such
as myself, here are a few things you
should try this spring.
spool. Cut that line and recycle it. Tie
the two line ends together – a blood
knot to a Palomar works well – and
re-fill the spool with your new line.
This will save you money by allowing
you to spool even more reels.
Braided Line
If fish are breaking your 15- to
20-pound monofilament, consider
50-pound braid. It has the same
diameter as 15- to 20-pound mono,
with more than twice the strength
for big fish. This line becomes handy
when going after trophy northern
pike. The only change you’ll have
to make is using the manufacturer’s
recommended Palomar knot. I made
this change 20 years ago and have
never looked back.
Crankbait Snaps
Tie a stainless steel snap to your
fishing line, then your lure. This will
give your crankbaits more action and
allow you to switch lures quickly. They
have worked most effectively for me
when largemouth bass fishing, as I
have had a northern pike or two open
these snaps. Yet the reward drastically
outweighs the risk.
Spool Smart
When re-spooling your reels, do so
with older line you’d no longer fish
with first. Once you fill the spool,
cast your heaviest lure as far as you
can. Then pull 10 more yards from the
Sleep In
In my early years, my friends and I
would always be at the lake at sunrise
or we were late. You don’t have to do
that to catch fish. Let the sun get up,
let the fish decide where they want to
be and you go find them. The best time
to fish is whenever you can go, not at
dark thirty.
Start to Fly
If you want to change your entire
fishing life, go on the fly. A good graphite
fly rod is around $100 and comes ready to
fish. Watch a few online videos on how to
cast and pick up a few No. 6 and No. 8-size
black or chartreuse woolly buggers, and
you’re ready for the lake. I use an old
8½-foot Pflueger rod I’ve had for 30 years
and a 9-foot Dogwood Canyon I bought
from Bass Pro four years ago. Both are all
I’ve needed for trout, bluegills, crappies,
largemouth bass, smallmouth bass,
channel catfish and carp.
Change Your Life
Learn how to tie your own flyfishing bugs and flies. It is the most
time-consuming, aggravating and pullyour-hair-out undertaking – but oh-so
rewarding. I started tying flies in the fall
of 2016, and it was a total nightmare.
All of my flies looked like bugs that
had been squashed three times, but the
fish still loved them. There’s no better
feeling than catching a nice fish on a
bug you’ve made.
THE AUTHOR WITH A CHANNEL CATFISH HE CAUGHT ON THE FLY. PHOTO BY JEFF KURRUS
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MIXED BAG
EAB BIOCONTROL
By Julie Van Meter, State Entomologist, Nebraska
Department of Agriculture
Emerald ash borer is an exotic, invasive insect that was
first confirmed infesting ash trees in Nebraska in June
2016. Since that time, the insect has been confirmed in
several counties in eastern Nebraska. Federal and state
quarantines are in place to prevent the spread of this pest
by regulating the movement of potentially infested wood
products. Regulated counties include Cass, Dodge, Douglas,
Lancaster, Saunders, Sarpy and Washington.
Significant research into biocontrol organisms as a means
of reducing the impact of ash borer infestations has occurred
in the United States in the last 15 years. Successful ash borer
biocontrol programs would reduce the survival of the insect’s
eggs and larvae through parasitism by these biocontrol
organisms. While biocontrol will not eradicate EAB, it could
reduce the EAB population to the point that ash trees are able
to survive low level infestations. It may also protect ash trees
so that regeneration and canopy restoration can occur.
Biocontrol is proving to be a valuable tool to combat ash
borer infestations in parts of the U.S., and offers an exciting
opportunity to combat the pest in our state and help protect
Nebraska’s ash trees.
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Nebraskaland • March 2020
Oobius wasp, Tetrastichus wasp, Spathus wasp.
In summer 2019, the U.S. Department of Agriculture
released three biocontrol wasps in Nebraska, targeting ash
borer. Though these small wasps love to attack ash borers,
they don’t pose any risk to people. Oobius agrili parasitizes
ash borer eggs, while Tetrastichus planipennisi and Spathius
galinaea are larval parasitoids of the target insect. The
biocontrol insects were supplied by the USDA EAB Parasitoid
Rearing Facility in Brighton, Michigan. USDA selected sites
and made releases based on the USDA EAB Biocontrol
program guidelines.
It is too soon to know if the biocontrol releases in Nebraska
will be successful. However, the first two insects have been
widely released across other ash borer-infested states, and
research indicates those biocontrol wasps are becoming well
established. Oobius is reported to infest around 25 percent of
ash borer larvae at monitored release sites, while Tetrastichus
has been found parasitizing 20-80 percent of larvae. Spathius
galinaea has been confirmed infesting up to 50 percent of ash
borer larvae at release sites in Michigan and Connecticut. This
data suggests that successful establishment will be possible
in Nebraska, which is good news for the state’s ash trees.
AN EXHIBIT EXPLORING 13,000
YEARS OF HISTORY WITH
NEBRASKA’S ARCHEOLOGISTS.
SHOWING NOW THROUGH 2021
! " #$%&' '&
# %
March 2020 •
Nebraskaland
61
PORTRAITS FROM THE PAST
This photo was taken in the mid-1970s, when pheasants were plentiful in
the Rising City area. It was opening day of the season, and we seven hunters
harvested 20 roosters. On the left is our dad, Ellis McClintick, a WWII veteran
now 97 years old. He doesn’t hunt anymore, but does golf 18 holes three days
a week. The other hunters are brothers: Phil, Tom and me, Jim McClintick. The
most striking character in the photo is our German shorthaired pointer, “Duke.”
On this day several snapshots were taken and in each one, with no prompting,
Duke planted himself in the center foreground of each one.
– Jim McClintick, Lincoln
These photos were taken in summer 1951 while fishing at
Rat and Beaver lakes in north-central Nebraska. On the trip
were Vera and Lyle Wettstead and my parents, Pete and Mary.
Both men drove trucks for Harrington in Fairmont. Nothing but
our power for the boat. The boy in the photo is Bob Wettstead.
– Jerry Gangstad, Fairmont
Send contributions to: Portraits from the Past, Nebraskaland Magazine, P.O. Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503-0370. Or e-mail to Tim.Reigert@Nebraska.gov. Photos
should show people enjoying Nebraska outdoor activities, such as camping, boating, hunting or fishing, and must have been taken before 1980. We will give priority
to unusual photos or activities. When possible, please include a story about the photograph and identify the people, places and approximate date it was taken. Text
may be edited and photos adjusted for reproduction. All photos will be returned.
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THE LAST STOP
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PHOTOS BY JEFF KURRUS
BUILDING AN IGLOO-LIKE THING
By Jeff Kurrus
Last March my kids, their friends and I built an igloo.
Well, not quite an igloo. More like a tall, heavy ice domevolcano-type thing.
For more than 10 hours, we filled buckets with snow,
watered them down with a hose (a very imprecise step)
and built our walls. Then we periodically sprayed the entire
structure down with the hose to help freeze everything
together.
Because it was 10 degrees, we followed strict instructions
not to spray each other with the hose, and with a couple of
pizzas thrown into the mix, we had our outdoor activity for
the day.
In the end, we made a fire inside of it, our neighbors
shook their heads in dismay and slight embarrassment,
and every non-participating adult questioned why we
hadn’t created a roof.
The other day I asked one of the kids if she was ready to
make an “igloo” again.
“Absolutely. That was so much fun!”
The truly enjoyable part was watching a group of
elementary school students work harder and longer than
I’d ever seen before.
I guess that’s what being outside can do for them.
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