‘Absolutely some risk’: Despite recent rains, southeast Nebraska lakes still face extremely low water levels

BURCHARD, Neb. - While most areas of southeast Nebraska have had noticeable precipitation over the last few weeks, trouble still looms for the regions lakes and reservoirs.

“It just seems like you can’t catch a rain, and some areas have had more rain than others, but overall statewide we’re still running below normal,”

And it’s been that way for about five years… Daryl Bauer of Game and Parks fisheries says recent rains have helped, as waterways are needing about anything they can get. Over the winter, snow fall helped areas of southeast Nebraska as well, but a long term problem often means a long term solution.

“It all helps, it all adds up, and I think snow pact helps a lot because you get that early spring run off,” Bauer said. “But long term, we’ve been below average on water levels for about five years.”

While the water levels at Burchard Lake in Pawnee County are low, they’re not quite dangerously low. However, the same can’t be said for other lakes in the region, particuraly some of those south of Lincoln, which are at risk of drying up. And if there’s no water, there’s no fish.

“There’s absolutely some risk, even if we still have water, because if we go into the winter like that it can lead to winter kill,” Bauer said. “Just overall, less water means we’re going to have less fish."

Some of the areas fitting that description includes Clatonia Reservoir, Hedgefield Resvoir, Olive Creek Lake, and Merganser Lake. While the low water levels can be harmful to fish, it can aid birds and other predators in finding prey, as the water level recedes.

“These reservoirs are still pretty good wetland habitat when the water is low,” Bauer said. “It’s not like there’s no value, there’s incredible value yet as the birds use them. Fish too, but we’d have more fish if we had more water.”