28 Nebraskaland • July 2024
Story and photos by Ethan Freese
Wet vs.
Dry
f you've visited one of Nebraska's many wetlands in the
past year, there's a good chance that you may have come
across a landscape that was anything but wet. A dry
wetland might be a discouraging sight if you're a waterfowl
hunter or birder, but wet and dry cycles are a natural process
for many wetlands in the Great Plains, a region known for
both deluge and drought.
I had the chance to witness these changes fi rsthand while
working with the Platte Basin Timelapse and the Nebraska
Game and Parks Commission on the Wetlands of Nebraska
project between 2020 and 2023. During the project, I produced
a fi lm and photo essay about playa wetlands in Nebraska.
Nebraska is home to four complexes of playa wetlands,
including the Rainwater Basin. Playas are wind-formed
wetlands that are often circular in shape and are located
on fl at, farmed landscapes. Due to a heavy layer of clay in
the soil, playas pond water on the surface from rainfall,
I
A small playa wetland in southwestern Nebraska in August
2020. Playas receive all their water from precipitation,
resulting in water levels that vary dramatically from year to
year depending on the weather.
