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Drone Rules for Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District
Funk, Nebraska (NE)
• United States
73746 V Rd, Funk, NE 68940, USA
Lat: 40.5171 • Lng: -99.2168
Rules Edit History: Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District
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Mapped shape change
Old outline is gray. New outline is blue.
May 30, 2026 7:50 AM
Approved
• Added USFWS drone prohibition for Rainwater Basin NWR with 500,000-sandhill-crane migration peak, whooping crane stopover, and panic-flight pre-fueling disturbance context.
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Approved
Confidence: 0.75
Your proposed edit detailing the drone prohibition at Rainwater Basin Wetland Management District has been approved. This aligns with U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations prohibiting drone operations within the refuge. The added context enhances understanding of the area's drone flight considerations. The outline has been updated to accurately represent the restricted area.
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| Field | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Flight status | Unknown | NoFly |
| Summary | — | USFWS prohibits drones on Rainwater Basin WMDs. The complex of playa wetlands is the single most important spring migration stopover for sandhill cranes and waterfowl in the Central Flyway. |
| Mapped shapes | — | 6a58d649-515c-45d7-96dd-ff87cb238e80 |
Before
After
## Drone Rules - Rainwater Basin NWR Complex, Nebraska **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 on all Wetland Management District units. ### Airspace / Site Context - 500,000+ sandhill cranes concentrate in the Platte River Valley (adjacent to the Basin) February-April; whooping cranes also stop here - The playa basins are shallow; drone shadow creates panic flights that push birds off the wetlands prematurely before fueling for migration - Lincoln Airport (LNK) Class C is ~60 NM east; Grand Island (GRI) Class D is ~20 NM north ### Key Rules - Crane migration peak (mid-March): USFWS enforcement presence is highest of the year across all Basin units - Many WMD units are interspersed with private agricultural land -- confirm parcel ownership before launching near basin edges - USFWS Special Use Permit required; crane research permit requires USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region approval ### Source - USFWS Rainwater Basin WMD: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/rainwater-basin
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+ ## Drone Rules - Rainwater Basin NWR Complex, Nebraska + + **Drones are prohibited** under USFWS Director's Order 210 on all Wetland Management District units. + + ### Airspace / Site Context + - 500,000+ sandhill cranes concentrate in the Platte River Valley (adjacent to the Basin) February-April; whooping cranes also stop here + - The playa basins are shallow; drone shadow creates panic flights that push birds off the wetlands prematurely before fueling for migration + - Lincoln Airport (LNK) Class C is ~60 NM east; Grand Island (GRI) Class D is ~20 NM north + + ### Key Rules + - Crane migration peak (mid-March): USFWS enforcement presence is highest of the year across all Basin units + - Many WMD units are interspersed with private agricultural land -- confirm parcel ownership before launching near basin edges + - USFWS Special Use Permit required; crane research permit requires USFWS Mountain-Prairie Region approval + + ### Source + - USFWS Rainwater Basin WMD: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/rainwater-basin +