In the Rainwater Basin, nearly all wetlands have been altered from their historical condition.  Surrounding upland has been leveled, wetlands have been filled (with soil) and drained, roads have been built, and pits have been dug.  Each practice drained, diverted, or concentrated runoff water that once spread out over the shallow wetlands. The loss of surface water in wetlands forces millions of birds to concentrate on smaller and fewer areas.  High bird concentrations stress the birds and increase the risk of disease outbreaks.  Avian cholera occurs annually in Rainwater Basin, the record high was as many as 100,000 birds during spring migration.  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service pumps water to numerous wetlands to ensure habitat is available and to reduce the outbreak of disease.

Drought and Pumping

The recent years of drought have had a significant impact on wetlands.  Irrigators and users of groundwater are being asked to be more efficient with their use.  The two goals we strive for with fall pumping is: 1.  To make the limited amount of funding we have available go further, and 2.  To try to have at least a small portion of the water pumped in the fall available for the next spring migration.  Warm days and nights allow for quick evaporation of any water pumped.  Actively growing aquatic plants consume additional water as well.  Usually by mid-September, light frosts have greatly reduced plant growth and evaporation.  Our pumping normally begins in mid to late October.  This does not help provide water for early migrants, like teal, but with limited funding later pumping is the best use of our dollars.

Spring pumping is delayed until early February.  Heavy snows or spring rains can quickly fill the shallow wetlands: saving pumping costs.  Because evaporation is not a problem, as with fall pumping, wetlands can be filled quickly.  Pumping in early February provides habitat by the time large numbers of birds begin to arrive.

Wetland vegetation management, using livestock grazing, prescribed burning, and disking, is allowing more waterfowl habitat using less pumping.  The result is the ability to pump more areas with the same amount of dollars.  

Submersible Pumps

We are slowly increasing the number of submersible pumps we have throughout the District.  Submersible pumps are located deep in the well and require no daily inspection or maintenance.  This allows us to turn on one or two wells without having to commit a staff person to monitor the pump.  It also allows us to turn some wells on earlier or later than the others so we can be better prepared for unusually early spring migrations and to provide more shorebird habitat in the late spring.  The submersible pumps are electrical--operating at lower costs.  We currently have nine submersible pumps.  They are located at Harvard, Johnson, Clark, Funk, Mallard Haven, Eckhardt, Massie, Smith and Cottonwood WPAs.

Installing pipeline, Atlanta WPA

In cooperation with Ducks Unlimited, the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, and the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission, a large contract was awarded to bury PVC pipe on numerous WPAs and WMAs.  This project was completed in December of 2003.   A total of 14,325 feet or nearly 3 miles of buried PVC was installed on 12 sites.  Ducks Unlimited, Inc. handled all phases of the project including design, contracting, and on- site inspection.  Prior to this project, water was delivered from the well to the wetland via open ditches--causing much of the water to soak away before reaching the wetland.