52 Nebraskaland • July 2023
"It was rough," said Roberg.
The clearing also gave anglers more
room to cast, and made it easier for
them to get from one spot to another.
Opening the forest on the fl oodplain
also helped lessen the damage that
may have occurred during two historic
fl oods in 2019 that occurred before
and after the project was completed:
one came in March, when heavy
rain fell on deep snowpack, and the
second was the result of torrential
rains in September. A gauge located
downstream, below where Bone Creek
joins Long Pine Creek, measured fl ows
near and above 6,000 cubic feet per
second where they are normally under
200 cfs. Elsewhere along the creek,
the fl ooding caused severe erosion,
uprooted trees and piled them along
the banks, causing more erosion.
"[The fl oodwaters] moved into
the area that had been full of cedar
trees, so it actually, more than likely,
protected some of our structures
because it dissipated that energy over
a bigger area," Roberg said.
And where there were only cedars
growing beneath the oaks on the
fl oodplain, there are now numerous
plant species, which has benefi tted
wildlife.
"The herbaceous community
responded big time," said Kelly
Corman, a wildlife biologist who
manages the area. "We had coveys of
quail down in there the fi rst couple of
years after clearing, which was pretty
neat to see. It's certainly being utilized
Nebraska Game and Parks Commission fi sheries biologists Thad Huenemann, Joe Spooner, Brett Roberg and Zach Horstman
use an electrofi shing barge to sample fi sh in Long Pine Creek.
