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Historically, the Rainwater Basin of southcentral Nebraska was an important link in a massive chain of wetlands that stretched throughout the interior of the North American continent from the Texas Gulf Coast to the Arctic. A century of population growth and development has significantly reduced the number of wetlands throughout this chain, particularly in the Great Plains, making those that remain in the Rainwater Basin and surrounding region even more important and critical to the success of waterfowl and the myriad of other birds that migrate through the Central Flyway.
 

The Rainwater Basin area stretches from Seward County west of Lincoln to Gosper County near Lexington, spanning  4,200 square miles in 17 southcentral Nebraska counties. About 400 separate Rainwater Basin wetlands remain. Most are one to 40 acres in size, but some are more than 1,000 acres. There are 84 publicly owned Rainwater Basin wetland areas totaling more than 28,600 acres.

In good years, rainwater and snowmelt fill the basins, usually just in time for the waterfowl that will rely on the area for food and shelter each spring. These shallow basins warm quickly in the spring and brew up a protein-rich soup of invertebrates. Add in a generous supply of seeds and tubers from wetland plants and waste grain from surrounding farms, and the birds have a well-round diet close at hand.
 

While some birds will remain in the basins to breed and raise young, most migrants will continue traveling northward to breed in the Dakotas and Canada, racing the leading edge of spring.

In recent years, conservation measures, partnerships such as the Rainwater Basin Joint Venture, improve land stewardship and local environmental education programs have laid necessary groundwork to help draw attention to the importance of this area as a valued and necessary wildlife resource to be conserved and restored.