Nebraska

Platt River State Park /
Louisville, Nebraska — Platt River State Park / Louisville, Nebraska

  Nebraska Geography
      Nebraska has five distinct geographic regions, including the Sandhills and Pine Ridge.
The Sandhills are the largest intact grass-stabilized dune system in the Western Hemisphere.
More than 85% of Nebraska’s land is used for agriculture.
The state sits entirely within the Great Plains.

  Water & Wetlands
      Nebraska has more miles of rivers and streams than any other state.
The state overlies much of the Ogallala Aquifer.
Wetlands in Nebraska range from rainwater basins to Sandhill marshes.
These wetlands support millions of migrating birds annually.

  Wildlife & Migration
      Nebraska lies at the heart of the Central Flyway.
Each spring, over 500,000 sandhill cranes stop along the Platte River.
The state supports pronghorn, plains bison history, and large whitetail populations.
Nebraska hosts over 400 recorded bird species.

  Fishing & Outdoor Recreation
      Nebraska offers both warm- and cold-water fisheries.
Trout streams exist due to cold groundwater flow, especially in the north-central region.
The Niobrara region supports canoeing, fly fishing, and backcountry camping.
Public access areas exceed one million acres statewide.

  History & Culture
      Nebraska was a major corridor for westward expansion.
The Oregon, Mormon, and Pony Express Trails crossed the state.
Many towns developed along rivers, railroads, and early trails.
Native tribes including the Pawnee, Omaha, and Ponca shaped the land’s history.

Playa Wetlands

Playa wetlands are shallow, seasonal basins that collect rain and snowmelt. Though often dry, they are critical migration stopovers and help filter runoff.

Flora & Fauna

Sedges, rushes, smartweed, and mudflat plants grow rapidly after rain. Waterfowl, shorebirds, sandhill cranes, amphibians, and aquatic insects rely on playas during wet cycles.

Flora

Sedges, spike rush, barnyard grass, smartweed, annual wetland plants.

Fauna

Ducks, geese, shorebirds, cranes, frogs, salamanders, aquatic insects.

Why it matters: Playas concentrate birds during migration, creating prime waterfowl habitat.

Riverine Wetlands

Riverine wetlands form along rivers such as the Platte, Niobrara, and Missouri, shaped by seasonal flooding.

Flora & Fauna

Cottonwood, willow, and sedges dominate floodplains. Fish, turtles, mussels, waterfowl, eagles, and herons thrive here.

Flora

Cottonwood, willow, boxelder, sedges, native grasses.

Fauna

Fish, freshwater mussels, turtles, pelicans, cranes, bald eagles.

Why it matters: River corridors guide migration and support fisheries and waterfowl movement.

Sandhills Wetlands

Groundwater-fed wetlands in the Sandhills form one of the most intact wetland systems in North America.

Flora & Fauna

Wet meadows and fens support sedges, bulrush, marsh marigold, trumpeter swans, ducks, cranes, fish, and amphibians.

Flora

Sedges, bulrush, prairie cordgrass, marsh marigold, buckbean.

Fauna

Trumpeter swans, ducks, cranes, fish, frogs, mammals.

Why it matters: These wetlands sustain waterfowl production and intact habitat.

Saline & Alkaline Wetlands

These rare wetlands contain high mineral or salt concentrations and support specialized plant and animal communities.

Flora & Fauna

Salt-tolerant plants dominate. Shorebirds and rare species such as the Salt Creek tiger beetle depend on these wetlands.

Flora

Saltwort, alkali bulrush, inland saltgrass.

Fauna

Avocets, phalaropes, shorebirds, Salt Creek tiger beetle.

Why it matters: These wetlands support rare species and unique migrations.

Nebraska

Nebraska Land & Water Map

The Central Fly