Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District was established in 1963 when the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began acquiring critical migratory waterfowl habitat in southeastern Nebraska. The ancestral homelands of the Pawnee (Pâri) and the Jiwere, this geographic area, called the Rainwater Basin, is a complex of wetlands scattered throughout a 21-county area. Today, 63 individual Waterfowl Production Areas have been purchased, most of them with funds generated from the sale of the Migratory Bird Hunting and Conservation Stamp, more commonly known as the Duck Stamp.
Cattle on a grazing unit at Rainwater Basin WMD
Grazing Opportunity at Rainwater Basin WMD Now Available

Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District is offering a five-year Cooperative Grazing Agreement for multiple qualified cooperators. Approximately 20,000 total acres on 55 Waterfowl Production Areas (WPAs) will be managed under a rotational grazing system.  Grazing units vary in size by WPA, but are typically between 80 acres and 1,000 acres.

To be considered, applicants must complete and submit an application packet. Packets can be obtained via this link or by contacting the Wetland Management District. Applications must be received by March 13, 2026. Submit applications to jessica_bolser@fws.gov, in person, or by mail to Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District, PO Box 8, Funk, NE 68940.

Successful applicants will be selected through an open, transparent, and competitive process. Applications will be scored and ranked by objective criteria as described in the application. All applicants will be notified by March 27, 2026. 

For more information, please contact Station Manager Jessica Bolser at 308-293-7307 or jessica_bolser@fws.gov.

Visit Us

Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District's 61 Waterfowl Production Areas provide numerous recreational opportunities such as birding, wildlife observation, hunting, and photography to thousands of visitors every year. 

Location and Contact Information

      Water Conditions

      We work closely with the state to update water conditions across the Rainwater Basin. Updates will be coming toward the end of August. Please visit the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission waterfowl page for more information.

      About Us

      The indigenous homelands of the Pawnee (Pâri) and the Jiwere, this geographic area, called the Rainwater Basin, is a complex of wetlands scattered throughout a 21-county area. The wetlands are shallow basins that provide resting and feeding areas for millions on birds during spring and fall migration.

      What We Do

      The management goal of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service within the Rainwater Basin is to restore, as much as possible, the natural hydrologic and ecological function of wetlands for the benefit of migratory birds and resident wildlife. For the grasslands, our goal is to reestablish and maintain diverse native grassland communities.

      Services
      Dozens of waterfowl flying over a grassy wetland
      Wetland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for globally...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance
      Land Management and Conservation Assistance
      A beautiful green grassland with white flowers in bloom under a partly cloudy sky
      Grassland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow, glacially formed wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance

      Our Species

      Rainwater Basin is known internationally for its significance to migratory birds. Millions of birds funnel into the Basin on their northward migration each spring. The more impressive species, by their sheer numbers, are white-fronted geese, mallards, pintails, snow geese, and sandhill cranes.