1. Chapter 1: The Flat Water State
Where is Nebraska Located
How did it develop
What are its geographic features

2. Absolute location:
95 25’ and 104 west longitude
40 and 43 north latitude
Relative location
Middle of the country
6 surrounding states?
Western boundary?
Eastern boundary?
15 largest- 77,355 square miles
207 miles by 430

3. Two time zones
Mountain and Central
Became a state March 1st, 1867
93 counties
HDC- counties include Colfax, Cuming, Dodge, and Stanton and country seats are Schuyler, West Point, Fremont, and Stanton
State Song- Beautiful Nebraska

4. Time Periods Precambrian- ended 570 millions years ago
Besides algae, no other plant or animal life
Granite, sedimentary rock
Paleozoic- 570 million to 240 million
North America covered by seas and swamps
Evidence of fossils such as sharks
Dolomite, sandstone, limestone
Coal and oil develop

5. Mesozoic- 240 to 66 millions years ago
Jurassic period- dinosaurs
Went from swampy area back to sea
Rocky mountains form
Cenozoic Era- 66 million to 38 million year
Seas disappeared
Mammals showed up
Ogallala Aquifer- formed during this period, made of porous rock and stores huge amounts of water underground

6. Agate Fossil Beds – Harrison
Ashfalls Fossil Beds - Orchard

7. Pleistocene period- 1 million years ago
Glaciers came twice over Nebraska
Nebraska state fossil?
10,000 years ago- Nebraska started to resemble what it is today

8. Nebraska Landscape State slants up from south east to northwest
Lowest Point- 840 ft above sea level
Highest 5,424 ft above sea level
Panorama Point
Topography- lay of the land

9. 8 Topographic Regions Most Unique sandhills

10. Nebraska Soils
Most Nebraskans make a living directly or indirectly related to AGRICULTURE
Soil contains- silt, clay, sand, and gravel
Loess-fertile, easy to till, and great for crops, located on the plains
Loam- need irrigation, but can be used for crops, fertile, and located near bluffs and escarpments

11. Nebraska water: Rivers
Most rivers flow easterly
Longest River- Platte- wide but shallow
Nebrathka- used by Oto and Omaha meaning-
Most rivers eventually drain into the ………
Important river in north part of the state_______________

12. Nebraska Water: Lakes and Reservoirs
Dams have created stable water supply
2,500 natural and artificial lakes
Lake C. W. McConaughy
Largest in lake, 55 square miles
Kingsley Dam on North Platte River
Lewis and Clark Lake
Missouri River
Gavin's Point dam

13. Minerals Does not have extensive mineral resources Salt- Lincoln Ne
Potash- important during WWI
State Rock- blue agate

14. Weather and Climate Tornados- Spring and summer Blizzards in winter
Weather- conditions in the bottom layer of the atmosphere at a particular time
Climate- weather over long period of time- Climate of Nebraska is continental- cold winters and hot summers
Temperature
Vary greatly
Mean January temp- 23 degrees
Mean July temp- 76 degrees
Highest- Minden- 118 degrees- 1936
Lowest- -47 degrees 1899 and 1989

15. Precipitation
98th parallel considered the important dividing line with precipitation
East- 20 inches or more West- 20 inches or less
Average
34 inches in SE
24 inches in Central
16 inches in panhandle
Most- 57 inches
Least- 7 inches

16. Relatively few trees, wind can reach high velocities
Wind mills can harness this energy
Storms
Harsh blizzards during the winter
1975 storm of the century
Tornados
30 per year
Grand Island 1975, Omaha 1913

17. Native Vegetation Nebraska Wild Life
1,400 species native, another 350 brought here
Only 3 percent natural forrest
Prairie Grasses- Little blue stem- state grass
Cottonwood- state tree
Known for arbor day to encourage planting trees
J. Sterlig Morton
Goldenrod- state flower
Nebraska Wild Life
Bison/buffalo- most important
White tail deer- State mammal
Meadowlark- state bird
Honeybee- state insect