Loess and Glacial Drift Hills

Lincoln Airport recorded mean daily highs of 87.4°F over the past 30 days, 5.4°F above normal, with the warmest day reaching 101°F on September 8. The warming and above-normal precipitation have supported sustained streamflow across Salt Creek and its tributaries in the watershed.

Giant Floater, Lilliput, and Pondmussel were found together on August 30 in Denton. The presence of multiple mussel species at one site indicates dissolved calcium is available to support shell formation and suggests calcium-rich water chemistry typical of limestone-influenced reaches.

Long-horned caddisflies (Leptoceridae) were recorded on September 3 at Fair Street in Lincoln. These larvae are sensitive to degraded water quality and their presence indicates the stream segment supports macroinvertebrate communities typical of unimpaired reaches.

Stream mayflies (Heptageniidae) were recorded at Holmes South Shore Road on September 22. These pollution-sensitive larvae require well-oxygenated, clean flowing water and serve as an indicator that local stream conditions meet aquatic life needs in this reach.

Three Blanchard's cricket frogs were recorded through September 18, the latest on the same date at a wetland on South 1st Street in Lincoln. This small wetland-dependent amphibian is threatened in much of its range and requires shallow, emergent marsh habitat where populations are declining across its distribution due to wetland loss and alteration.