Winnebago Tribe to get back 1,600 acres of land once taken for proposed recreation area along Missouri River

By Paul Hammel, Nebraska Examiner The Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska stands to receive 1,600 acres of land that were taken a half-century ago for a recreation area that never materialized. The land, on the Iowa side of the Missouri River, would be returned under a bill introduced recently in the U.S. Senate by U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer and her fellow Iowa and Nebraska senators — Pete Ricketts, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst. The chairman of the Winnebago Tribe, Victoria Kitcheyan, said the return will be a “historic and beautiful moment” for her tribe, whose reservation is located north of Omaha. … Continue reading Winnebago Tribe to get back 1,600 acres of land once taken for proposed recreation area along Missouri River

Less rain results in a cleaner Big Sioux River, report says

Less precipitation means less pollution is running into the Big Sioux River, according to a 2023 water quality report. “You can see a pretty strong correlation between the amount of rainfall and water quality,” Friends of the Big Sioux River’s Emily Oyos said. “A very direct correlation.”

“We had a significantly less amount of rain than 2022, and that has resulted in better numbers,” said Rachel Kloos, with Friends of the Big Sioux River. Otherwise, the results reveal many of the same problems as in past years. Continue reading Less rain results in a cleaner Big Sioux River, report says