Nebraska

Relief

Nebraska comprises parts of two of the United States’ principal physiographic regions—the till plains of the Central Lowland (in the eastern third of the state) and the Great Plains (which makes up the center of the state).

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The Sand Hills region of north-central and northwestern Nebraska is one of the state’s most distinctive features. Comprising nearly one-fourth of the area of the state, it consists of sloping hills and valleys varying from 25 to 400 feet (8 to 120 meters) in elevation. With many small lakes and luxuriant grasses, the Sand Hills area is a superb rangeland.

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Elevation in Nebraska rises from a minimum of 840 feet (256 meters) above sea level in the southeast to a maximum of 5,426 feet (1,654 meters) near the Colorado and Wyoming boundaries. Much of the land is gently rolling prairie, although the river valleys, much of south-central Nebraska, and a large portion of the panhandle district are flatlands.

Drainage

Nebraska lies within the Missouri River drainage system; the Platte, the major Nebraska tributary, joins the Missouri south of Omaha. Although shallow and unnavigable, the Platte is vital to the state’s irrigation. The river is formed by the confluence of the North and South Platte rivers, both of which rise in Colorado to the southwest, although the North Platte swings northward through Wyoming, to the west, before entering Nebraska. The Elkhorn River enters the Platte west of Omaha, and the Loup River, formed by three tributaries flowing out of the Sand Hills, also discharges into the Platte. The Republican and Big Blue rivers flow through southern Nebraska, emptying into the Missouri in Kansas via the Kansas River. The Niobrara, a swift-moving stream that rises in the high country just west of the Wyoming border, flows across extreme northern Nebraska. The Ogallala Aquifer, a huge supply of underground water that made possible the extensive development of well irrigation, lies beneath most of Nebraska.

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How big is Nebraska?

Soils

Nebraska’s soils are excellent for agriculture. The prairie soils of the southeast and the humus soils of central and northeastern Nebraska are important. South of the Platte and west of the prairie soil area, the soil is best suited to small-grain production. Winter wheat adapts to the soil and marginal precipitation of western Nebraska. The wind-deposited soil of the Sand Hills, because of limited precipitation and the danger of erosion, is suited solely to cattle grazing. The alluvial soils of the Missouri and Platte river valleys and the valleys of smaller streams are outstanding for raising corn (maize) and other crops.

Climate

Nebraska’s climate, like that of the larger Great Plains region, is subject to extremes in temperature, wind speeds, and precipitation. Likewise, there are significant climatic variations from eastern Nebraska to the central and westernmost regions. Hot winds from the southwest often push summer temperatures in Nebraska into the 90s F (about 32 °C) and sometimes above 100 °F (38 °C). Average July temperatures range from the mid-70s F (about 23 °C) in the panhandle to the upper 70s F (about 26 °C) in the southeast. In the winter, northwestern winds often bring in Arctic air masses from Canada, and temperatures commonly fall well below 0 °F (about −18 °C). Low-pressure systems moving out of the southwestern states sometimes bring great blizzards to Nebraska. Average January temperatures vary from the mid-20s F (about −4 °C) in the panhandle to about 20 °F (−7 °C) in the northeast. The average growing season is about 170 days in the southeast and 130 days in the panhandle.

The average annual precipitation varies from more than 30 inches (750 mm) in the southeast to less than 16 inches (400 mm) in the extreme west. Since a minimum of 20 inches (500 mm) is usually considered necessary for normal crop production, about one-half of Nebraska may be considered semiarid.

Plant and animal life

Nebraska was the first state in the country to celebrate Arbor Day—in 1872, when Nebraskan politician J. Sterling Morton advocated a tree-planting day to beautify the state’s largely treeless landscape. A wide variety of prairies originally covered Nebraska; now the slopes of the river valleys are well covered with deciduous trees. Cottonwood, elm, and some oak and walnut are found along the bluffs of eastern Nebraska, while conifers grow in the Wild Cat and Pine Ridge highlands and the Niobrara valley. The Nebraska National Forest in west-central Nebraska resulted from a human effort to plant trees on the barren plains.

Bison had roamed widely over the Nebraska plains until their near extermination at the time of settlement in 1854. Some of these animals remain in their natural habitat on the Fort Niobrara National Wildlife Refuge, near Valentine. Antelope and deer are also native to the state, as are prairie dogs, coyotes, jackrabbits, skunks, and squirrels. Migratory birds and pheasants are common.