Nebraska Sandhills

"The Nebraska Sandhills provides an up-to-date, highly readable, beautiful, and very reasonably priced introduction to this unusual region that covers a quarter of our state."-David L. Bristow, Nebraska History "By the book's end, the reader will be familiar with the history, geography, and topography of the region as well as the daily lives of the hardy cattle ranchers who now reside within. . . . The book should appeal to anyone residing within driving distance of the Sandhills."-J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal Star "Inspired by this remarkable book, I see the region in a whole new light. I can't wait for my next visit."-John C. Hamilton, Roundup Magazine

• ForewordMichael J. BoehmIntroduction My Introduction to the Nebraska SandhillsMary HarnerIntroductionA Kingdom of Grass – The Nebraska SandhillsMichael ForsbergPart I. Sense of Place  1. Tantalizing Clues as to Indigenous Peoples’ Lives in the Sandhills1a. Humphrey Site Reveals Sandhills’ Apache Presence      John R. (Rob) Bozell and Courtney L.C. Ziska2. The Turtle at the End of the World   2a. Skidi Pawnee Mythic JourneyRoger Echo-Hawk  3. Cheyenne Sanctuary: The Northern Cheyenne Exodus, Mari Sandoz, and Lost Chokecherry Lake Emily Levine4. Settlers: Ranchers, Homesteaders, Immigrants    Andrew Pollock  4a. The Black Homesteaders of DeWitty   Richard Edwards5. Town Life  Mark Harris    6. Nebraska’s Human-made National Forest   Carson Vaughan7.  An Abandoned Stone Schoolhouse in the Nebraska Sandhills   Ted KooserPart II. Land                         8. Physical Setting of the Sandhills in Maps  R. Matthew Joeckel, Clayton L. Reinier, Paul R. Hanson, Jesse T. Korus. Troy E. Gilmore, and Aaron R. Young9. The Sandhills Through Time   David Loope, James Swinehart, and Joe Mason10. What It takes to Form a Giant Dune Field   David Loope, James Swinehart, and Joe Mason11. The Last Five Million Years of Grasslands and Grazers  11a. Where the Buffalo Roam … or NotChris Widga12. Sandhills Grassland, Large Grazers, and Conservative Use   Al Steuter13. Sandhills Soils – Interactions among Topography, Water, Sand, Vegetation, and Grazers         Martha MamoPart III. Water                       14. Groundwater – How the High Plains Aquifer Shapes the Sandhills  Erin Haacker15. Sandhills Streams and Rivers as Influenced by Groundwater, Climate, and Humans    15a. The Niobrara -- a National Scenic River15b. March 2019 FloodsJessica Corman and Troy Gilmore16. Sandhills Lakes in Space and Time   Sherilyn C. Fritz16a. Sandhills Alkaline LakesDavid Dunigan17. Diverse Groundwater-Fed Sandhills WetlandsTed LaGrange   17a. FensTed LaGrange and Gerry Steinauer18. A River in Motion: Platte Basin Timelapse   Michael Farrell, Michael Forsberg, Kim Hachiya, and Mary HarnerPart IV. Climate and Weather 19. The Times They are a Changing – Seasonal, Inter-annual, and Long-term Variability in Sandhills Temperature, Wind, Rain, and Drought   Martha Shulski20. How and Why Storms Form in the Sandhills: Location, Location, Location20a. Storm Chasing   Adam Houston21. When Too Much Water is the Problem: 2019 and the Flooding of the Sandhills  Bethany JohnstonPart V. Sea of Grass 22. The Unique Diversity and Habitat Structure of Sandhills Grasslands22a. Are the Sandhills Resilient or Fragile?Chris Helzer23. Sandhills Prairie  Gerry Steinauer23a. Blowout Penstemon Cheryl Dunn24. Grazing Management for Beef Production and Wildlife Habitat24a. Grazing, Landscapes, and Greater Prairie-chickensWalt Schacht and Larkin Powell25. Irrigation in the Sandhills  Jerry VoleskyPart VI. Ranching       26. Ranching Through the Seasons: Planned for the Worst. Hoped for the Best.    Sara Sortum   27. Leopold Award Winners   Douglas Norby28. Rotational Grazing and Sustainable Grasslands  Jim JenkinsPart VII. Wildlife      29. Birds of the Sandhills29a. Wilson’s Phalarope 29b. Long-billed CurlewLarkin Powell30. Sandhills’ Inconspicuous Mammals Make the Region Unique  Shaun Dunn  30a. Kangaroo Rats’ Habits Enhance Plant Diversity  Keith Geluso and Jeremy A. White31. Sandhills’ Sweet Water Lakes are Productive Fisheries  31a. Common Carp: Invasive ScourgeDaryl Bauer  32. Herpetofauna Adapt to Sandhills’ Idiosyncratic LandscapesDennis Ferraro32a. Blanding’s Turtles: Sandhills Smileys     Ashley Forrester33. Diverse Landscapes Enrich Insect Diversity and NumbersJeffrey Bradshaw33a. American Burying Beetle  33b. Giant Skipper33c. Sandy Tiger BeetleSteve SpomerPart VIII. Future of the Sandhills   34. Sandhills Task Force34a. Eastern Red CedarShelly Kelly35. Economy, Ranching, and Ecotourism in the Sandhills  Richard Edwards and Katie Nieland35a. World-Class Golf Courses  Douglas Norby36. Demographics of the Sandhills Over Time  Dennis Bauer37. Local Knowledge and the Future of the Sandhills   Mary Ann Vinton and Jay Leighter   38. Alternative Futures of the Sandhills  Craig Allen and Caleb RobertsSelected Books for Further Insights into the SandhillsAuthor InformationAcknowledgements