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The Sand Hills are a 19,600 mi² (50,960 km²) region of mixed-grass prairie in north-central Nebraska, covering just over one-fourth of the state.
Geography
Dunes in the Sand Hills may exceed 330 ft (100 m) in height. The average elevation of the Sand Hills region gradually increases from about 1800 ft (600 m) in the east to about 3600 ft (900 m) in the west.
The Sand Hills sit atop the massive Ogallala Aquifer, and marshes and shallow lakes—both temporary and permanent—are common in low-lying parts of the Sand Hills. The eastern and central sections of the region are drained by tributaries of the Loup River and the Niobrara River, while the western section is largely composed of small interior drainage basins.
History
The plant-anchored dunes of the Sand Hills were formed at the end of North America's most recent ice age by wind-blown particles originating from regions to the north and west of Nebraska. At several times in the past 10,000 years, during periods of extreme drought, the Sand Hills have been active sand dunes; however, this not happened since around 1400 CE. The mixed-grass prairies supported large populations of bison until the 1870s. Although the Sand Hills were long considered 'an irreclaimable desert,' settlers began to discover their potential as rangeland for cattle in the 1870s. The fragility of the sandy soil makes the area unsuitable for cultivation. Unsuccessful attempts at farming were made in the Sandhills region in the late 1870s and again around 1890.
The 1904 Kinkaid Act allowed homesteaders to claim 640 acres (2.6 km²) of land, rather than the 160 acres (0.6 km²) allowed by the 1862 Homestead Act. Nearly nine million acres (36,000 km²) were successfully claimed by 'Kinkaiders' between 1910 and 1917. Some of the Kinkaiders attempted to farm, but these attempts generally failed. Many of the largest ranches broke up about the same time due to regulations against fencing federal range lands.
Today, the Sand Hills is among the most productive cattle ranching areas of the world. The population of the region continues to decline as older generations age and as younger generations move to the cities. However, there are still a number of small towns in the region that celebrate both their cultural heritage and their physical location.
External links
Geography of Nebraska | Temperate grasslands, savannas, and shrublands | National Natural Landmarks of the United States
"Sand Hills (Nebraska)"