In Nebraska, sandhills wetlands have formed where sandy soils are dominant — in the Sandhills region of Nebraska, along the Loup and Platte river sandhills, and along the Elkhorn and Niobrara rivers. Groundwater fills these wetlands, which include marshes, meadows and fens. While the majority are freshwater, in some locations, they are salty — made so by the alkali there.

Sandhills wetlands are mostly on private ranchland and the ranchers are stewards of the wetlands and grasslands that their cattle rely on. These wetlands provide important habitat for a wide diversity of fish and wildlife species. Some of these wetlands also support state or federally endangered/threatened species, including the whooping crane, western prairie fringed orchid, northern redbelly dace, finescale dace, western blacknose shiner and Topeka shiner.

While sandhills wetlands remain the most intact of Nebraska’s wetland types, they face continued threats from alterations to the watershed and invasive plants. But these wetlands play an extremely valuable role to migratory waterfowl and Blanding’s turtles, provide important habitat, and — in the Sandhills region — support the ranching economy. They also support recreational activities, such as fishing, hunting, wildlife watching, kayaking, camping and boating.