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Year: 2021

Elkhorn River Access Sites to Open April 1

The Papio NRD will open all access sites to the Elkhorn River for the season on April 1st.

The Elkhorn River access sites include:

  • Elkhorn Crossing (intersection of 252nd & Bennington Road)
  • West Maple Road (West Maple Road northeast of Waterloo)
  • Graske Crossing (southeast corner of West Dodge Road & west of 204th St.)   

High river flows occasionally force the Papio NRD to temporarily close the river access sites for safety purposes. Park closures for Elkhorn River sites are called for when the Elkhorn River gauge at Waterloo reads a stage of 5 feet or greater. Also, river access ramps may need to be cleaned of silt, debris and safety inspected before reopening.

Are the Access Sites Open or Closed? 

You can find out whether the access sites are open or closed throughout the season here:

The access sites will be open from April 1 through November 1 from 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.

 

Lower Platte River Ice Conditions Update

 

3/5/21

With a warming trend underway, The National Weather Service Omaha, Papio NRD, Nebraska Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), United States Geologic Survey, and other agency partners, have been actively monitoring river ice conditions and coordinating a response for ice jams and potential spring flooding along the Platte River.

Here are the latest river conditions and temperature forecasts:

Ice Jam/Potential Flooding Updates

  • Dodge County Emergency Management says the ice jam south of Fremont at Highway 77  has opened up and floodwaters are receding.

Helpful Online Resources

 Below is a list of resources to help keep the public informed on the status of river conditions, weather forecasts regarding the potential threat of flooding, and ice monitoring for ice jams.

National Weather Service

For information regarding river levels, reservoir data and snow pack information on the Lower Platte, Elkhorn, and Missouri rivers, as well as weather forecasting:

 

Media Inquiries

 For media inquiries regarding river conditions and weather forecasts, please contact:

National Weather Service Omaha
David Pearson, Service Hydrologist, at 402-359-5732 or david.pearson@noaa.gov

For media inquiries regarding ice thickness measurements and the potential for ice blasting, please contact:

The Papio NRD
Jennifer Stauss Story, Public Relations/Education Programs Manager at 402-960-5329 or jstauss@papionrd.org

 

 

Increasing Safety of Rural Intersections Through Conservation Efforts

Rural intersections can be dangerous when tall crops obstruct the view of approaching traffic. The Papio NRD is proud to be a partner in the Pollinator Safety Corners program that offers landowners incentives to plant new habitat at rural intersections, such as a diverse mix of short grasses and wildflowers, to help provide an adequate sight distance at intersections.

Through the 319 Grant Program, a new incentives program for farmstead improvements and agricultural enhancements, landowners within the Papillion Creek Watershed who participate in the Pollinator Safety Corners program receive an annual $350 per acre for each year of the 5-year contract.

Kyle Madsen, watershed coordinator for the Papio NRD says he sees the Pollinators Safety Corners program to be a win-win for farmers and the community by increasing safety through conservation efforts.

Anyone interested in learning more about the program can contact Madsen at kmadsen@papionrd.org or 402-350-3695.

Please see flyers below for program details and guidelines.

Safety Corners Program Guidelines

Papio-NRD-Corners-Flyer

Virtual Public Meeting for Papillion Creek Basin Draft Final Feasibility Report

WHAT:

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in cooperation with the Papio Missouri River Natural Resources District, will hold a virtual public meeting to present results of the draft final feasibility report for the Papillion Creek General Re-evaluation study. The purpose of the study is to develop alternatives to reduce flood risks and improve public safety within the Papillion Creek Basin in Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties.

WHEN:

Wednesday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m.


HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

The virtual public meeting can be accessed at: https://usace1.webex.com/meet/rachel.c.shrader. For best audio results, after opening WebEx, select the “Call Me” option, enter your phone number and then click the “Join Meeting” button. The system will call you and ask you to enter “1” to join the meeting. For those who cannot log on to the WebEx, a dial-in only option exists (844-800- 2712 Access code: 199 133 0340).

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this virtual meeting is to provide the public an opportunity to review results of the Papillion Creek General Re-evaluation study report before it is submitted to Lieutenant General Scott Spellmon, USACE Chief of Engineers, for consideration,” said Rachel Williams, project manager with the Corps. If approved by General Spellmon, the project would be recommended to Congress for approval and funding in the next Water Resources Development Act.

The Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) is federal legislation, traditionally passed every two years, that provides authorization for USACE to study and construct flood control, ecosystem restoration and navigation projects for the benefit of the Nation. The last WRDA bill to pass was in 2020.

ACCESS THE REPORT:

The draft final feasibility report, including environmental assessment and report appendices, can be downloaded from https://www.nwo.usace.army.mil/Missions/CivilWorks/Planning/Planning-Projects/Papillion-GRR/.

Up-to-date meeting details are available on the project website or by calling Amanda Grint with the Papio Missouri River NRD at (402) 444-6222.

 

 

 

New Papio NRD Board Members Sworn In

Two recently elected members of the Papio-Missouri River Natural Resources District (Papio NRD) Board of Directors were sworn in at last night’s board meeting. 

Patrick Bonnett, who previously served on the Papio NRD Board from 2012-2016, replaces Mark Gruenewald in Subdistrict 9, who joined the board in 2017. Phil Davidson, City of Bellevue Community Relations Coordinator, defeated incumbent John Wiese in Subdistrict 11, who served since 2016.

Incumbent Larry Bradley, a former board member who rejoined the Papio NRD Board in 2017, retains his seat in Subdistrict 3 after defeating challenger Christian Mirch. Incumbents Ted Japp (Subdistrict 1), Rich Tesar (Subdistrict 5), and Danny Begley (Subdistrict 7) ran unopposed.

Additional members of the Papio NRD Board of Directors include Fred Conley (Subdistrict 2), Tim McCormick (Subdistrict 4), Jim Thompson (Subdistrict 6), Tim Fowler (Subdistrict 8), Kevyn Sopinski (Subdistrict 10).

 

 

Open House for Hazardous Mitigation Plan

Mark your calendars! The Papio NRD will hold a virtual open house on Jan. 21 from 5-7 pm for the public to ask questions/provide feedback on the 2021 Hazard Mitigation Plan.

Your previous input enabled us to identify 14 natural and man-made hazards of concern to you for evaluation in this plan.

You can review your local community’s profile here.

 

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