By Daryl Bauer, Fisheries Outreach Program Manager
I have spent a few years going to school. In fact I have a certificate or two that show that I am supposed to know something about fish. Since those days, there have been more years working as a fisheries biologist in Nebraska. In all of that time, training, and experience, there is one thing I know for sure:
The primary habitat requirement for fish is WATER!
That seems elementary, but it can be a major issue in Nebraska. Water is a precious resource. Every time we have a dry spell, weather patterns that result in drought conditions, we are reminded of that.
I am fond of a quote from Mark Twain, “Whiskey is for drinking, water is for fighting over.”
It is true that water will be THE issue for western states, including Nebraska, this century. I am not talking about water quality, but simply water quantity. With all the demands on our water supplies, I sometimes wonder how much will be left for fish & wildlife and outdoor recreation?
Nebraska is a Great Plains state. Don’t tell me we are “midwest”. We are great plains! One obvious characteristic of this land west of the Missouri and east of the Rockies is extreme weather. I have said our “climate” is always changing. We are either in a wet cycle or a dry cycle; a warm cycle or a cold cycle.
When it is wet, good times are here, and water issues are forgotten. However, a wise Nebraska sandhill rancher I know once said that “we are never more than twenty days away from the next drought.” When that happens, when it is dry, water comes to the forefront of everyone’s thoughts.
As a Nebraska angler, you know that water levels can and do have a dramatic impact on fish populations and access to our favorite fisheries. Without a doubt, discussions about water levels and accessibility have been constant over the past several months. We have been in a prolonged dry spell.
To illustrate, let me share some data from the High Plains Regional Climate Center. They have a wealth of information there, and some really helpful maps to depict current conditions.
We have had less than normal precipitation across Nebraska. In fact, we have seen this for several years now:
Pretty much all of Nebraska has had below normal precipitation for the past sixty months. Notice almost all of eastern Nebraska is approaching at least two feet less precipitation than normal over that period! Yes, we have had some rains recently, but that deficit explains why we still have low waters in many reservoirs in southeast Nebraska, especially those south of Lincoln.
Things are looking better. Here is the departure from normal over the past thirty days:
Many areas of central and western Nebraska have had above normal precipitation the past month! Keep it coming! Unfortunately, even with the recent rains we have had in eastern Nebraska, much of that area of the state is still drier than normal.
Even more perspective on this being a long-term condition can be seen in a six month time frame.
Again, things have been looking better in central and western Nebraska, but not so much in the eastern, especially south-central and southeastern parts of the state.
OK, so those are some purdy graphs. What it all means is that even though we have had some recent rains, especially in southeast Nebraska, we still need more. Those reservoirs that have had low water levels probably are not going to recover much especially now during the heat of the summer. This dry spell has lasted for an extended period. It is probably going to take an extended period for conditions to improve.
Of course there is another thing I know here on the Great Plains–who can predict the weather? I have seen dry spells before. Have seen wet ones too. Who knows when that is going to change, or how fast it can flip? Have seen things go from record dry to record wet in literally a few weeks. For any given waterbody, a big thunderstorm in the right place could actually fill it overnight!
There are only a couple of things I know for sure: You cannot catch fish sitting at home on the couch, and fish need water! Hope the rains keep coming! If you know a rain dance, well, it wouldn’t hurt!