FLOOD04472

• County: Statewide
• Community: Nemaha County Nebraska
• Stream Name: Missouri River Miles 532.4-528.9
• Basin: Statewide
• Title: Langdon Bend Habitat Restoration/Preservation Project Volume 1
• Date: 6/1/1995
• Prepared For: US Army Corps of Engineers
• Prepared By: Greenhorne & O'Mara, Inc.
• Floodplain - Doc Type: Project

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observed during the field investigation (January 1995). Peregrine falcons are associated with
wetlands and open areas such as cropland and grassland and may follow the Missouri River Valley
during migration. Cropland comprises a major portion of the project area and may be utilized by
the falcon. The interior least tern and piping plover nest on sparsely vegetated sandbars and may
occur along the Missouri River during migration. Sandbars are generally absent along the
Langdon Bend stretch of the Missouri River, except when the river is seasonally low in winter.
However, this period does not coincide with tern and plover breeding seasons, The pallid
sturgeon is rare throughout its historic range and only a few have been captured from the Missouri
River in recent years. The American burying beetle may be found along major watercourses,
such as the Missouri River, where riparian woodland or scrub forests are the predominant habitat
(USFWS 1994). This carrion beetle has also been captured in mixed agricultural lands, including
pastures, mowed fields and grasslands. All of these habitat types occur within the project area.

The western prairie fringed orchid populations have declined due to conversion of habitat
to cropland and overgrazing of range animals. The orchid is restricted to native, upland, dry-
mesic to wet-mesic tall-grass prairie, hay meadow and sedge meadow communities (USFWS
1986). It is an inhabitant of tall-grass calcareous silt loam or sub-irrigated sand prairies (USFWS
1994). There is a modest portion of grassland located within the project area.

Table 2 lists Category 1 and 2 candidate species which may be found in Nemaha County.
Category 1 candidate species are those for which the USFWS has data to support listing as
threatened or endangered, and for which listing is anticipated. Category 2 candidate species are
those for which the USFWS is seeking additional information in order to determine their
biological status. Although candidate species have no legal protection under the Endangered
Species Act, these species are considered to be significant resources.

The plains spotted skunk inhabits brush country, riparian woodlands, and rock edges in
thickets, fencerows, and shelterbelts, These habitats exist within the project area.

The loggerhead shrike inhabits open country with scattered shrubs or small trees such as
shelterbelts, cemeteries, fannsteads, or hedgerows. The Henslow's sparrow prefers meadows and
neglected weedy or grassy fields. The black tern is common inland, nesting on lakeshores and
marshes. On the plains and prairies the black tern inhabits reed-bordered sloughs, natural ponds,
fish and stock ponds, shallow river impoundments, wet meadows, river oxbows, ditches, edges
of streams, and swampy grasslands, The cerulean warbler inhabits moist deciduous bottomland
forests as well as shady and mature upland woods. This warbler prefers open forests with tall
trees and little undergrowth. Potential habitat presently exists for these species within the project
area.

The lake sturgeon lives on the bottom of large rivers and in shallow waters of large lakes.
The blue sucker inhabits major river systems, The sicklefin chub and sturgeon chub prefer swift
flowing, turbid rivers. The paddlefish inhabits large silty rivers, oxbow and flood-plain lakes.
All of these species may reside in the Missouri River.

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