Death of waterfowl at Lewis & Clark Lake in northeast Nebraska prompts advisory

By: Paul Hammel - November 23, 2022 5:37 pm

Snow geese fly near Lexington. (Julie Geiser/NEBRASKAland Magazine, Nebraska Game and Parks Commission)

LINCOLN — A die-off of at least a couple hundred waterfowl around Lewis & Clark Lake in northeast Nebraska has prompted state wildlife officials to issue a warning.

The public is being asked to avoid all contact with sick or dead birds encountered in that area and report them to Game and Parks, officials said.

The dead waterfowl, mostly snow geese, were first reported at the Lewis and Clark State Recreation Area on Tuesday.

State wildlife staff have collected some dead waterfowl, which are being tested for cause of death, the agency said in a press release.

A large number of snow geese are currently utilizing Lewis & Clark Lake, which is an impoundment on the Missouri River north of Crofton, and more dead or sick birds could be found over the holiday weekend.

The lake attracts a variety of waterfowl, including gulls, pelicans and bald eagles, especially during migration periods.

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Paul Hammel

Senior Reporter Paul Hammel has covered the Nebraska Legislature and Nebraska state government for decades. A native of Ralston, Nebraska, he is vice president of the John G. Neihardt Foundation, a member of the Nebraska Hop Growers and a volunteer caretaker of Irvingdale Park in Lincoln.