26 Nebraskaland • May 2023
One hundred million years ago, the North American
continent was inundated by ocean waters and formed a
vast, inland sea called the Western Interior Seaway. Fast
forward to now, and those salts from the inland sea remain
underground but are constantly being pushed to the surface
— right outside of Lincoln — by pressure from the Dakota
Aquifer. These are known as the saline wetlands.
They are now some of the rarest wetlands in the world.
In the last 150 years, over 80% of an estimated 20,000 acres
of saline wetland habitat has been destroyed by ditching,
draining and urban development.
Yet hope endures as rigorous restoration eff orts are
underway, resulting in the reappearance of rare plant and
animal species adapted to live within the salt fl ats. One
of these species is the Salt Creek tiger beetle, a federally
endangered species found only in these saline wetlands.
But the eff orts go beyond the beetle. With more wetlands,
there is more habitat for other species in these unique
ecosystems. More wetlands also means less fl ooding in the
city, reduced erosion, improved water quality and more
places for the curious to recreate — just a few miles from the
Capital city.
Saline/Alkaline Wetlands
By Mariah Lundgren and Brooke Talbott
The warm, orange glow from the sun casts through clouds giving the saltwort an ethereal tone across a saline wetland at Little
Salt Creek Marsh near Raymond. Saltwort is an endangered plant species only found in saline wetlands. ETHAN FREESE
