Snapshot of the Niobrara: Park Service documents river’s changing landscape

VALENTINE, Neb. - Welcome to a nature lover’s paradise—the Niobrara National Scenic River is the ecological crossroads for several species of fish, birds, mammals and reptiles.

“We have six ecosystems that overlap,” Niobrara National Scenic River Superintendent Susan Cook said.

Because of the river’s biological importance, Congress designated 76 miles in north-central Nebraska as a National Scenic River.

“This place is very, very unique. You can’t find another place like this. We have the largest paleontological resources in North America here under us, and there are 200 waterfalls in the first 35 miles,” Cook said.   

To make sure the habitat is preserved, the National Park Service is conducting its first-ever visual resource inventory. Armed with cameras, the team isn’t just snapping pictures; they’re diving into the details—figuring out what’s significant in each view.

Mark Meyer is a visual resource specialist with the National Park Service. He traveled from Phoenix to get the lay of the land—or rather, the river.

“Landscapes certainly are changing. I’ve seen a lot of changes in the West as far as large solar and wind facilities. The idea of the inventory is to get baseline information and get out in front, so there’s information to share prior to projects being developed,” Meyer said.

If you’re a regular visitor, you might think you know the river like the back of your hand, but the truth is, it’s always changing—so slowly you might not even notice.

“We are the largest vegetated sand dunes in the world. There’s only one other vegetated sand dunes like this, and it’s in Africa. If we lose this ecosystem, there isn’t anything else to replace it, so we’re here to protect it for future generations,” Cook said.

Future generations who, thanks to this project, will have a detailed snapshot of how this extraordinary resource is changing.