Partnering for Success: Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Program

Since its inception in 1997, Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Program has been largely successful due to its partnerships.  Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration has contributed $10,866,624 to 43 rehabilitation projects, nearly 24% of the programs total expenditures of $45,278,268 through 2011.  Other major funding partners include Nebraska’s Environmental Trust Fund ($7,512,585) and Nebraska's Department of Environmental Quality's administration of Environmental Protection Agency Clean Water Act Section 319 Funding ($6,456,370).  Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Program has worked with numerous funding and management partners to complete 58 rehabilitation projects to date.  Projects have ranged from simple fishery manipulations to improving multi-scale watershed processes.  Determining effective strategies for solving habitat problems in Nebraska's diverse aquatic landscapes has evolved through a combination of directed evaluations and intuitive field engineering. 

Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Program's success has lead to a recent authorization of additional project locations, and an expansion of the program's scope to include providing angler access enhancements to facilitate increased public fishing opportunities.  Nebraska anglers strongly supported the initial legislation establishing Nebraska's Aquatic Habitat Stamp, and are now benefiting from rehabilitated aquatic habitats and improved recreational fishing.