The Nebraska Sand Hills are basically a grass-stabilized desert, with gently rolling “dunes” that cover a quarter of the state. As barren as the land appears on the top, below it sits the Ogallala Aquifer, which is the largest body of ground water in the world.
The hardy prairie grass is well suited for the harsh climate and makes for excellent cattle grazing. However, the prairie grass has only a tentative hold on the sandy soil and any disturbance allows wind erosion to create “blowouts”, like the mega-sand trap above.
The Cherry County rancher that owns this land has tried to minimize the damage by stabilizing the blowout with timbers and old tires. It looks like Mother Nature has the upper hand.
Thought for the Day: The goal of life is living in agreement with nature. Zeno (335 BC – 265 BC)
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