NRD PROJECTS 

Soil erosion, flooding and surface/groundwater drainage are all challenges that are faced in this District. Our goal is to use each acre within its capability and to treat each acre according to its needs as set forth in the technical guidelines adopted by the District. The District has included the Erosion and Sediment Act, adopted by the Nebraska Legislature in 1986, as part of the NRD's Master Plan. The Act established a state-wide program designed to reduce erosion to tolerable levels throughout the state. Cost-share programs are available to encourage conservation measures on privately owned land that will produce long-term benefits for the general public; flood prevention, flood control and channel rectification fall under this budget category. 

Current Projects:    

*Prairie/Silver/Moores-  Click here for project information in PDF.  (See description under 3. below)
*Proposed Elm Creek Watershed       Click Here

1. Wood River Flood Control Project

When completed, this project will carry excess water from the Wood River and Warm Slough into the Platte River to alleviate flood damage to area landowners and businesses. The cost estimate for the project is over $17 million. CPNRD provided 42.5 % of the local sponsor share of the study, completed by the Corps of Engineers. The City of Grand Island provided 35% and Hall and Merrick Counties each provided 11.25%. Sixty percent of the non-federal share will be paid for by the State Resources Development Fund.  Click here for photos of the 2005 Flood.

2. Kearney Northeast

The newly developed areas in the city of Kearney will no longer have to worry about flooding with the completion of the Kearney Northeast Flood Control Project. The project was started in 1990 to alleviate increased flooding from storm runoff on a tributary of the Wood River.  In 1995, Miller & Associates developed a plan to stop a serious erosion problem and flooding in the northeastern part of Kearney. The project includes channel improvements, drop structures, road crossings and a detention cell. The City of Kearney, Buffalo County and the NRD agreed to split the costs of the project and to do the construction in phases so taxpayers wouldn’t have a large one-time impact.  The project was completed in three Phases. Phase I and III widened the existing channel of the Wood River, starting at the drop structure and meanders west and south to a point near 56th Street on Eaton Road. The detention cells are located approximately 1/2 mile north of ‘N’ Avenue and 56th Street. Construction included 300,000 yards of excavation with a 50 acre/feet storage design for a 100 year storm and a 50 acre/feet storage design for a 25-year storm. Approximately 75,000 yards of soil was excavated to create a new channel for the project.  Phase II, which primarily consisted of channel improvements, was the last Phase to be constructed. Improvements were made from the Phase I channel south to 39th Street then west to Antelope Road; and from 56th Steet to Avenue N.

3. Prairie/Silver/Moores-  Click here for project information in PDF.

                                                                  Project Background   
In June of 1967 what was estimated as a 75 year storm event occurred in Grand Island causing severe flooding and inundating 42 square miles in northern and western Grand Island.  Total property damage in Grand Island was estimated at $3,250,000.  More Recently on May 11, 2005, portions of Hall County received in excess of 7 inches of rainfall within a period of 24 hours causing an estimated $12 to $15 million in damages in Hall County, and damages to an estimated 2,769 homes and businesses. 

In May of 2000, the Central Platte NRD and the City of Grand Island hired Parsons Water and Infrastructure to perform a detailed hydrologic analysis of the Northern and western Grand Island.  The analysis was also to evaluate options for reducing flood damages to present the preferred alternative.

JEO Consulting Group, Inc. was selected in September of 2005 to provide engineering services for the design and oversight of the flood control project.  The flood control project is designed in three phases.  Construction of Phase 1 began in January of 2007.  Completion of all three phases is anticipated in  2015. 

   
   Project Goal   
The primary goal of the Upper Prairie/Silver/Moores Creek Flood Control Project is to provide flood protection from the 100-year storm to urban residential and commercial properties in western and northern Grand Island.  Secondary purposes of the project are to provide flood protection to crop land and rural residents, reduction of road and bridge damages, reduction of the rural 100-year floodplain aerial extent, removal of western and northern Grand Island from the FEMA, and to provide wildlife habitat.  Construction is estimated at $16.2 million for the entire project.  An estimated 2,750 homes and business, with an average flood insurance rate of $400 per year, will receive benefits from this project once completed.  Success of this project is reliant on coordination with several government agencies including; FWS, USACE, DNR, County, City and the CPNRD.  The Natural Resources Commission is funding 52.5% of the project cost, the remaining 47.5% is funded by the CPNRD, the city of Grand Island, Hall and Merrick Counties.

Phase 1 – Silver Creek Low Land Stormwater Detention Cells    The first phase of the project is the construction of 4 large floodwater detention cells along the Silver Creek channel with a total excavation near 4.5 million cubic yards of earth.  Van Kirk Brothers Contracting located in Sutton Nebraska was awarded the contract for the construction of the first two cells.  The cell design also includes the lowering and re-grading of Silver Creek for more then two miles.  The detention cells will detain stormwater runoff in excess of the 2-year storm.  A 3’ x 3’ concrete box culvert will be used as the outlet and will release the water from the cells at a rate equal to the 2-year storm.  A second 3’ x 6’ gated box culvert will be used for rapid draw down of the cells.   A berm is being placed around the cells, approximately 2 foot above existing ground, to provide sufficient capacity to detain runoff from the 100-year storm with a 1-foot freeboard.

Phase 2 and Phase 3 A diversion channel that will connect Silver Creek to Moores Creek and a levee that will prevent flood water from flowing from one basin the adjacent basin. The stormwater released from the cells when combined with runoff excess, flows from the Prairie Creek and will cause flooding within the city of Grand Island.  This levee will be designed to will meet the requirements set forth by FEMA.  A diversion channel will be constructed to divert water from Silver Creek to the Moores Creek floodway. 

A series of upland detention dams and an overflow channel from Prairie Creek to Silver Creek.  The exact locations of the detention sites will be finalized in the final design phase of this project. Several sites are available and will be evaluated after geological investigations have been completed.  The Channel between Prairie and Silver Creek will serve to carry excess flows from Prairie Creek to Silver Creek. 

4.  Lower Warm Slough Prairie

The NRD spent $110,000 in 2002 to complete snagging and clearing from Grand Island to Central City.

5. Prairie Creek Clearing

Although the Prairie Creek Flood Control Project had a local effect, damages could be reduced on Prairie Creek by keeping the channel clear. Projects have been completed from the mouth of Prairie Creek in Merrick County to the Hall-Buffalo county line. Annual maintenance cost is $10,000.

6. Prairie Slough

St. Libory residents asked CPNRD for assistance to alleviate flood damage caused by a high water table and poor drainage from the Prairie Slough. Howard and Merrick County boards have agreed to work with CPNRD to develop a study to determine what options are available for the area. Currently, proposals are being sought to plan a project that can be completed in phases. Some work has been completed east of St. Libory.

7. Moores Creek

Project sponsors of the feasibility study for the flood control on Moores Creek include CPNRD, the City of Grand Island, Merrick County and Hall County. The commission approved the Moores Creek Project and agreed to cost-share at 65% rate. The three-phase project consisted of channel improvements, construction of three detention/retention and wildlife habitat enhancement cells, and construction of waterways and bridges to enable storm runoff. Annual maintenance cost is estimated at $20,000.

8. Lower Spring Creek

In response to landowners requests, construction of the snagging and clearing project in Dawson County was completed in 1995. Annual maintenance is done as needed.

9. Gibbon Spur

The project, located south and southwest of Shelton, is designed to divert flood water drainage under the Union Pacific Railroad's Gibbon Spur overpass on Interstate 80. The project is currently on hold due to land rights issue, however, CPNRD continues to work with Union Pacific and local landowners to determine if a project can still be developed.

10. Wood River Watershed

Snagging and clearing has been completed from the mouth of the stream to Gibbon.  Annual maintenance for the Wood River Clearing Project is estimated at $10,000.

11. Dry Creek Clearing

A request from landowners to clear a channel northeast of Cairo was prompted by debris from a windstorm or tornado. The project was completed in 1998, however, area landowners petitioned the NRD to clear an additional 21,000 feet. That project will be completed this winter. Maintenance is done by the NRD.

12. Kearney West Clearing

Landowners west of Kearney, along Turkey Creek, requested a clearing project of 2 2 miles to assist them with flooding problems. An additional mile will be cleared and snagged in 2000. Project maintenance is done by CPNRD.

13. Kearney West Drainage

In 1999, landowners complained in a petition to the CPNRD Board of high groundwater levels, causing poor surface drainage to occur on the north channel of the Platte River, which includes the community of Odessa. The Board will consider authorization of a study to address what possible remedies there are for the situation. All aerial photography and mapping has been completed.

14. Kearney East Drainage

In 1998, CPNRD received a petition from landowners about high groundwater levels due to poor surface drainage north of I-80, between Hwy 10 & the Windmill State Recreation Area, south of Gibbon.  Due to the lack of continued landowner support, the study to remedy this situation was not authorized.

15. Silver Creek Watershed- 

This four-phase project has been completed since 1987. The project provides flood relief in Merrick County, and encompasses 90,000 acres. Annual maintenance costs to the NRD are approximately $20,000.

16. Clear Creek Watershed

Located in Polk County, this watershed encompasses nearly 75,700 acres and had a long history of flooding, with 15 flood control structures completed. Cost-share from the Natural Resources Development Fund was received on 5 of the larger structures and Polk County provided cost-share funds for additional smaller structures. Construction of smaller structures are performed as needed.

17. County Road Structures

The District has established a county road structure program to help counties provide minor flood control. CPNRD has completed a number of these structures in cooperation with the county highway departments in several counties.