This summer, through Nebraska’s UCARE program, Kayla Vondracek and Matthew Chen traveled to the Niobrara River to assess how human recreation on the river is potentially impacting its aquatic ecosystem. She completed the project under Jessica Corman, assistant professor in the School of Natural Resources.
“A lot of people think of a river as a recreational opportunity, which it definitely can be, but it also feeds into groundwater and different things we need that are essential to life,” Vondracek said. “Understanding how we're impacting it might help us understand how to protect it.”
The Niobrara is a destination for thousands of tourists each year, who take to its waters for kayaking, tanking and a variety of other recreational activities. Through their research, Vondracek and Corman want to ensure that the river stays healthy and vibrant for more visitors to enjoy in the future.
Read more about the project.
Watch them in action.
View a photo story of their summer research.
Nebraska Today
More details at: http://news.unl.edu