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1 YJ 001 <br />Studv Site Selection <br />Three study sites were established in representative wet meadows along the Platte River <br />between Lexington and Grand Island, Nebraska in May of 1988 (Figure 2). Two sites were <br />located on large islands between river channels, while the third site was located next to the <br />south bank. Study sites were selected in agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, <br />Platte River Whooping Crane Habitat Maintenance Trust, U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, and the <br />National Audubon Society. Topographic maps were used to identify potential wet meadow <br />sites, and the suitability of these sites was verified in the field. These sites were chosen to <br />represent a variety of topographic, drainage, and vegetation types; all considered important <br />sandhill crane, whooping crane, and other migratory bird habitat. <br />Instr=entation Common to All Sites <br />Study site instrumentation began in July of 1988 and was completed in August of 1988, <br />except as noted below. Monitoring continued through September of 1992. Each site had a <br />weather station, a cross - valley well transect, a well grid, and one or more river -stage gaging <br />stations, (Figures 3, 4, and 5). Weather stations were used to measure precipitation and <br />determine the length of the growing season. Each station was equipped with a minimum of <br />one Belfort weighing bucket rain gage, and a thermograph for measuring the air and soil <br />temperatures at 4 and 40 inches. The Crane Meadows site has an expanded weather station for <br />estimating evapotranspiration. Instrumentation for this site included a hygrothermograph (for <br />relative humidity), a pyroheliograph (for solar radiation), a barograph (for barometric <br />pressure), a totalizing anemometer (for wind travel), and a Class A evaporation pan. <br />Groundwater levels were monitored with a cross - valley transect and a grid of wells. <br />The cross - valley transects provided a two dimensional view of the surrounding groundwater <br />n <br />