Surface Water Watersheds

Watersheds

Everyone lives in a watershed. A watershed is the land area that contributes water to a location, usually a stream, pond, lake or river. Everything that we do on the surface of our watershed impacts the water quality of our streams, wetlands, ponds, lakes and rivers. What happens in one locality affects other downstream areas.

Nebraska Water Facts

Nebraska means “flat water” from the Omaha Sioux “ni braska” and Oto “ni brathge”/ Nebraskier describing the Platte River. The Platte River was named by early French explorers, also meaning “flat.” The Panhandle is almost 6.5 times higher elevation than the Southeast. (5,424 ft above sea level versus 840 ft). Southeast NE receives 2.5 times as much annual precipitation as the Panhandle (average 33” versus 13”).

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Major Nebraska Rivers and Their Drainages: Part 4

Republican River drainage system
Featuring the Republican River, which holds the record for the worst flood in Nebraska history.

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Major Nebraska Rivers and Their Drainages: Part 3

Nebraska River Photo
Part 3 of the Nebraska Rivers series focuses on the Loup River drainage system, which originates in the Sandhills.

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Major Nebraska Rivers and Their Drainages: Part 2

Nebraska River
Part 2 of a six-part series that will cover the major rivers and their respective drainages found in Nebraska, with some geography and history about Nebraska’s rivers.

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Major Nebraska Rivers and Their Drainages: Part 1

Niobrara River
This new series by Nebraska Extension Educator Gary Stone highlights the main rivers in Nebraska and their impacts across the Midwest and Northern Plains. Part 1 of a six-part series that will cover the major rivers and their respective drainages found in Nebraska, with some geography and history about Nebraska’s rivers.

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