For greater than 50 years, Audubon’s conservation work alongside the Platte River has been rooted within the perception that lasting conservation is constructed by robust partnerships and collaboration.
Defending this important ecosystem takes many companions and stakeholders; collaboration is the important thing to creating an influence and requires working with producers, native communities, irrigation districts, authorities businesses, and different conservation organizations. Species just like the endangered Whooping Crane, the Least Tern, and the Piping Plover are only a few that desperately depend on the ecosystem surrounding the Platte River.
Former Audubon Nebraska Government Director, David Sands, has fought for cover of the Platte in varied capacities, together with from 1997 to 2003 whereas working for Audubon, and following that in his position because the Government Director for the Nebraska Land Belief. Earlier than becoming a member of Audubon, Sands labored as a lobbyist and guide on Platte River points, giving him a much bigger image of the Platte’s story and making him an excellent useful resource to realize a greater understanding of the work that has been finished and what’s at stake.
When Sands first grew to become concerned in Platte River conservation, the necessity to defend water for wildlife was changing into more and more pressing. Within the Eighties, Nebraska started creating a authorized framework to guard instream flows, the water that is still in a river to help fish, wildlife, recreation, and different ecological wants. In 1989, the state granted its first instream movement safety on Pine Creek. The Recreation and Parks Fee recognized the Platte River to be subsequent for cover; nevertheless, this triggered issues from irrigation districts. A compromise was introduced to chop the instream movement to the Platte to stability the wants of the irrigation neighborhood and conservation efforts. The proposal, nevertheless, prompted robust opposition from organizations tasked with defending the wildlife that depend on the Platte River to outlive.
Audubon stepped into motion.
Sands remembers a grassroots marketing campaign that included a full-page newspaper commercial with the headline “Nebraska’s Personal Water Fowl,” a information convention and a name for supporters to attend a Nebraska Recreation and Parks Fee assembly. Native Audubon chapters turned out, and supporters used “Save the Platte” stickers to determine themselves. The hassle was profitable, and the fee postponed the choice. Audubon and companions organized a letter and call-writing marketing campaign urging commissioners to guard the river’s flows, and native Audubon chapters joined in. Ultimately, the proposal didn’t obtain sufficient votes to go, an enormous win illustrating the ability of collaboration and in the end an enormous win for conservation.
“Earlier than the instream movement battle, choices have been made in backroom discussions,” Sands recalled. “After they needed to work with conservation organizations and take a look at the larger image, that modified the whole dynamic.”
Group constructing for habitat conservation.
After changing into Government Director of Audubon Nebraska, Sands invited representatives from native energy and irrigation districts to Rowe Sanctuary for a barbecue. The objective was easy: rebuild relationships by speaking head to head. On the time, Sands mentioned, there was a notion amongst some water customers that wildlife conservation and agriculture had opposing objectives, however Sands felt in another way and wished to set the file straight.
“This isn’t a case of cranes versus corn,” he defined. In his view, the problem was discovering methods to handle water, together with the timing of releases from Kingsley Dam that might help each agricultural wants and wildlife. By persevering with to construct relationships, Sands targeted his efforts on a broader strategy of discovering widespread floor between all events concerned.
The Platte River system crosses three states, Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, and consists of a number of dams, reservoirs, and diversion buildings that affect how water strikes by the system. Discovering options required these state businesses, water customers, federal businesses, and conservation organizations to return collectively. This led to the Platte River Restoration Implementation Program (PRRIP), a cooperative effort targeted on balancing water wants with habitat and wildlife conservation. Collectively, this group brings a wealth of experience to the sphere, together with wildlife biology, land planning, statistical ecology, and water sources engineering. They concentrate on three core methods that information this system’s efforts to guard species and habitats on the Platte: water, land, and adaptive administration.
Utilizing science and creating options.
Whereas relationships and partnerships have been essential, conservation on the bottom was equally vital. At Rowe Sanctuary, Audubon and its companions tried new approaches to managing Platte River habitat. Audubon labored alongside organizations similar to The Nature Conservancy, sharing tools and experience and experimenting with methods to take care of the open river habitat that birds and wildlife rely upon.
Whereas working with employees at Rowe, they used their panorama to host one of many first massive scientific research exhibiting that dewatering was hurting the Platte, and scientific proof now proved the necessity for conservation methods. This was important from a scientific standpoint and influenced the event of adaptive administration practices to determine what labored and what didn’t. This included practices nonetheless used in the present day, similar to disking river sandbars to forestall them from changing into overgrown with woody vegetation.
Defending greater than birds
Sandhill Cranes and Whooping cranes could also be among the many Platte’s most recognizable species, however Sands believes the river’s significance extends far past these iconic birds. The Platte helps hundreds of thousands of geese, geese, fish, bugs, and different waterfowl. Its moist meadows and native habitats present advantages for numerous species, whereas its water is important to communities and agriculture all through Nebraska. Over time, Sands mentioned, the dialog across the Platte has expanded from particular person species to the well being of the whole ecosystem.
The river is a spot for birders and hunters. It helps recreation and tourism. It offers water for communities and agriculture. And its well being is linked to the broader financial system of the state. The 2026 Economic Impact Study of the Spring Wildlife Migration in Central Nebraska discovered that greater than 30,000 guests who come to witness the annual migration generate an estimated $28 million in financial output annually.
Sands sees the way forward for Platte River conservation as an ongoing effort to construct that constituency.
He hopes individuals will come to know the Platte as a river for everybody, a river for wildlife, recreation, communities, agriculture and the numerous experiences that join individuals to the outside. Vital work stays to guard the Platte as water demand continues to develop and as drought years hit the toughest.
For Sands, the reply is to proceed constructing relationships and discovering methods for the Platte to serve the many individuals and species that rely upon it. After 50 years of conservation, Sands believes that connection remains to be one of many Platte’s biggest strengths. Sands is happy to see Audubon and companions persevering with the work, constructing relationships, and convening to guard the Platte.
