Nebraskaland Magazine
LINCOLN, Neb. – A project to restore the wetland at Memphis Lake Wildlife Management Area back to a fully functional marsh was completed in June.
Over the years, modifications to the 90-acre wetland and uncontrolled vegetation allowed site conditions to deteriorate, reducing its value for migratory waterfowl and other aquatic wildlife.
Drawdown of the lake and wetland began in August 2018. A contractor removed all trees and shrubs from the project site in January. Work was delayed twice earlier this year by a blizzard and flood. In May, the contractor filled in the last of the 5-foot-deep ditches, originally dug to provide open water for ducks and fishing. In June, two water-control structures were installed to help manage water in the wetland separate from the lake. An accessible hunting blind will be built on the site later this year.
The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission partnered with Ducks Unlimited on the project, and a Nebraska Environmental Trust grant helped pay for it.
