Cow Creek Restoration Project                                  

The purpose of the project was to restore riparian habitat destroyed by continual down cutting (erosion) of the stream bed of Cow Creek. Cow Creek, located in Cherry County, has experienced accelerated down cutting caused by land use changes and increased water flows in consecutive years. As the stream down cuts to adjust to higher water flows, it captures more of the groundwater. The results include drying of adjacent wet meadows, drainage of wetlands that were historically fed by high groundwater levels, reduction in habitat for wildlife species, and a shift in plant communities from wet-meadow species to more arid species.

Historically (1930's), there were as many as four water control structures on the site. The structures created wetlands that provided wildlife habitat and benefits to the landowner’s ranching operation. High flood waters in the early 1990's washed out the aged structures. This project restored the structures and improved on the design to allow greater flows to pass through the structures without damaging them.

In early 1997, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, Upper Loop NRD, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Ducks Unlimited, landowners Mart Manning and Gary Schaeffer, and the Sandhills Task Force joined together to find possible solutions to restore the structures. The Sandhills Task Force was asked and agreed to sponsor the project, and an application to Nebraska Environmental Trust was written. In February 1998 the NET awarded funding to restore the dams. NRCS completed a total elevation survey and designed the new structures. The NRD applied for approval from the Department of Water Resources and contributed funds to the project. The Fish and Wildlife Service provided technical assistance, matching funding, and administration of the grant through the Sandhills Task Force. Ducks Unlimited also contributed matching funding. When it was determined that cost would go over budget, the Department of Roads was approached and agreed to contribute matching funds for the second structure as part of their wetland mitigation needs.

Construction was completed in October 1999 and the dikes were seeded and mulched. Structure number 4 filled up immediately thanks to a local beaver that blocked the tube.

Partners:

Partners included private and governmental agencies, and landowners.

Natural Resources Conservation Service (Engineering and surveys)

Upper Loup Natural Resources District (Administration and technical assistance)

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Technical assistance and matching dollars)

Ducks Unlimited (Matching dollars)

Department of Roads (Matching dollars)

Mart Manning (landowner, seeding and maintenance)

Gary Schaeffer (landowner, seeding and maintenance)

Four structures were restored, three on Gary Schaeffer’s property and one on Mart Manning’s. The structures were constructed in accordance with NRCS’s design and NRCS certified the completion of the structures.

The acres of wetlands protected, enhanced and restored are not easy to estimate. Based on previous projects and the land survey, it is estimated that each structure will create between 4-14 acres of wetlands, restoring the 38 original wetland acres. The wetlands will provide wildlife habitat for migratory and resident species and also buffer stream discharge and downstream flooding. In addition, four linear miles of riparian habitat and approximately 300 acres of adjacent sub-irrigated wet meadow habitats will be protected by maintaining the historic ground water levels with the new structures.

In the spring of 2001, a heavy rain caused high flows to go through the structures.  They worked as designed, much to the satisfaction of all the partners, especially the landowners.