Following 2019 Floods, Four Game and Parks Restoration Projects are Nearing the End

April 4, 2022, 7 a.m. ·

River road at Ponca State Park
A river road at Ponca State Park in northeast Nebraska. (Nebraska Public Media file photo)

One set of repairs is completed and three more are nearly done for northeast Nebraska state park and recreation areas following the devastating 2019 floods.

The jobs in northeast and east-central Nebraska are nearing an end, according to the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. Work at the Willow Creek Recreation Area is completed, while restoration projects are ongoing at Ponca State Park, Niobrara State Park, and Fort Atkinson State Historical Park.

Jeff Fields, the regional superintendent of northeast Nebraska, said that it’s been quite the process to get funding from the Nebraska Emergency Management Agency for all these projects. In all, about 90% of the funding for the project was funded through emergency management agencies at the federal and state levels.

"There’s a lot of steps…getting contractors lined up to do the work, so it takes time," he said

Fields said that repairs at the four Game and Parks locations included maintenance of roads, bridges, electrical equipment and boat and canoe ramps. Overall, Fields said he’s happy to have the four projects almost finished, so Nebraska outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy the parks to their full extent.